Bizarre cases of self-injury becoming more common in local schools
By SCOTT POWELL Ledger Staff Writer spowell@gaffneyledger.com

A student takes an eraser and rubs it furiously against his arm until the friction causes the skin to break.

This is not a scene from a television show or the Internet. It's a bizarre incident that has occurred at Gaffney Middle School this school year in a disturbing trend called "cutting."

Cutting is a type of self-injury where teenagers may cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs and bellies with razors or some form of improvised device.

Gaffney Middle School Principal Herman Thompson had seen minimal examples of selfinjury in his first seven years as school principal. It has been different this school year.

"If you asked me about cutting last year, I would have told you it wasn't a problem. This year I have seen more incidents involving cutting than anytime in my years as Gaffney Middle Principal. I don't know why. It's definitely a concern," Thompson said. "If we see this behavior occurring on a frequent basis, we will contact the parent and work within the school setting to refer the student to a mental health professional if necessary."

The practice of cutting usually starts when a teenager is 15 to 16 years old. Some continue the practice in their college years.

When cuts or burns heal, they often leave scars. Teenagers who injure themselves usually hide the cuts and marks so no one knows.

Some people cut themselves because they feel desperate for relief from bad feelings, said Brooke Guthrie, chief mental health counselor for Cherokee Mental Health Center.

It may be a way to express strong feelings of rage, sorrow, rejection, desperation, longing or emptiness.

A Cornell Study by researcher Janice Whitlock estimates cutting occurs among 10 percent of secondary students and 25 percent of college students.

"We find teenagers who are cutting often come from families where emotional expression is not accepted or emotions are not validated," Guthrie said. "Cutting can be habit-forming. The brain starts to connect the false sense of relief from bad feelings to the act of cutting. It can occur with greater intensity on repeated attempts."

Signs of a problem include inappropriate dress for the season such as wearing long shirts and long pants in the summertime and frequent wearing of wristbands. Mood changes are another symptom.

People who cut or selfinjure sometimes have other mental health problems. Cutting is sometimes a sign of depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders or compulsive behavior.

School guidance counselors and mental health professionals serve as valuable resources to help parents deal with a teenager's emotional issues.

"If a parent suspects their child is cutting, they should try to talk to them in a nonjudgmental way," Guthrie said. "This will encourage the child to be more open in talking so something can be done to help the child."

IT'S CALLED 'CUTTING'

Students may use a razor or some other type of sharp instrument to cut themselves on their wrists, arms, legs or stomachs.

In some instances, they might use an eraser or an abrasive material to rub parts of their bodies until the skin breaks.

The practice usually begins when the person is 15 or 16 years old and might continue into their college years.

The injuries leave scars that the student might try to hide under long clothing or wrist bands.

Officials say "cutting" occurs among 10 percent of secondary students and 25 percent of college students.