Teens new obsession: self abuse

financial express ^ | 6/5/06 | ap

[najida]

>>SNORT!<<

[reagan_fanatic]

I have a 15 y.o. daughter whom I found out was cutting. She's rather closed-lipped about it, but I've found it's heavily influenced by her peers at school and through different websites such as MySpace.com

We've cut off internet access for her while the school counselor, my Wife and myself are trying to work with her to get to the root of the problem and put an end to it.

[LYSandra]

Spoiled little children! What stress do they have? Can you imagine any of these kids living in the 20's during the depression?!!! We've done a diservice to our kids by giving them to much and not making them know hardships and failure so they aren't stressed by the young age of 17 or 24. I know our kid thinks he is stressed (a much over used word by young people) and yet he has had every advantage. It is defintely a generation of do for me-make it happen! Self mutalation will do the trick I'm sure!

[GSlob]

Well, did the girl recover her balance, probably in something like 3-6 months?

[TC Rider]

Used to be the rose tattoo on the ankle was shocking. Now the response is, "what took you so long".

[najida]

When you're young and something bad happens, you blame yourself. That was the way I was raised, over 40+ years ago..not matter what happened, I must have done something to make it happen. That was always the first question. So, you felt guilty. You did something to deserve it, bring it on, whatever.

No, the response in some, some very strong people... when hurt is to get mad, but in many, those who are damaged or already struggling with self hate, it's to hate themselves even more.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Oh dear Lord........I can only imagine where else she might have piercings.

[Philistone]

She left school in the middle of the semester and I left the college at the end of it so I never got "the rest of the story".

[Philistone]

That's true, but I don't think it explains the shear magnatude of the phenomonen today.

In today's schools, if you are bright, you are supposed to feel sorry because there are people who are stupider than you.

If you are attractive, you are supposed to feel bad because there are ugly people out there.

If you are a boy, you are supposed to feel bad about "being competitive".

If you are a girl, you are supposed to feel bad about simply wanting to become a good mother.

If you are white, you are supposed to feel guilty about what someone else's great-grandparents did to some other person's great-grandparents.

If you are middle-class, you are supposed to revile yourself because some other people are not.

If you believe people should be self-reliant, you are a bigot and a racist.

If you believe that government's first duty is to protect its citizens, you are for baby-killing and the massacre of innocents.

I could go on, but you get the point.

[dalight]

I will tell you that these people are not ignorant cowards. I know the people in our school district. The Superintendent's daughter is in the JROTC and he is the biggest advocate of that program you could see. The High School principle is a very honorable, stern but fair disciplinarian. The teachers on the whole try hard and struggle to make it in the system.

The problem is lawsuits, rules and regulations from the State School Board and State laws that require reporting (ala Columbine). Plain and simple. Everyone is forced to cover their butts.

It has been a trend throughout society to criminalize just about everything that used to be handled inside of the family or community. Baby falls down, the next breath is charges are being filed. It all seems reasonable at the time, but in the end we are building Big Brother around us including slowly but surely surrounding ourselves with video monitors so that the very concept of privacy is being lost.

So back to todays kids, its tough on them. They have fun on the internet in virtual relationships. Which they say and share things that would make your eyes curl and you have to watch them that much closer, so that you are reading their mail and monitoring their chats. And the government is talking about Monitoring their MySpace.. and "Big Brother" keeps marching on.

[MEGoody]

For some young people, self-abuse is an extreme coping mechanism that seems to help relieve stress; for others it is a way to make deep emotional wounds more visible.

And for others, it's just another way to get some attention.

[dasboot]

Howdy TC..

I have to take care of 'em prior to their court appearances. That includes official assessment for incarceration options...and lots of time to talk off the record, and form some opinions of general cause/effect. I haven't years of psychological training to cloud my judgement. :^) Just an insensitive trog.