Self-Mutilation

by Mary E. Williams (Editor)

Overview

Each year, 1 in 5 females and 1 in 7 males engage in self injury. This self injury is often a coping mechanism for far more serious issues. Enable your readers to engage in a necessary debate about this topic. The essays collected here are provided in a pro versus con sequence, so that readers can evaluate more than one side to every topic. Across four chapters, readers will examine whether self-mutilation is a serious problem, whether body modification falls within mutilation, what triggers self-mutilation, and what should be done to reduce self-mutilating behavior. Essay sources include Teen Vogue, LifeSIGNS, and the Cornell University Family Life Development Center.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780737738292
Publisher:	Greenhaven Publishing LLC
Publication date:	12/29/2007
Series:	Opposing Viewpoints Series
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

B01

Table of Contents

Why Consider Opposing Viewpoints?     11
Introduction     14
How Serious a Problem Is Self-Mutilation?
Chapter Preface     19
Self-Cutting Is a Serious Problem   D'Arcy Lyness     21
Not Acting on the Urge to Cut Is a Serious Problem   Alex Williams     29
Most Self-Injurers Do Not Have an Increased Risk of Suicide   Betsy Bates     33
Self-Injury Affects Males as Well as Females$dLifeSIGNS     38
Periodical Bibliography     43
Does Body Modification Constitute Self-Mutilation?
Chapter Preface     45
Body Modification Is a Form of Self-Mutilation   Sheila Jeffreys     47
Body Modification Is Often a Form of Self-Expression   Kathlyn Gay   Christine Whittington     54
Body Modification Is Often a Marker of Cultural Identity   Debbie Jefkin-Elnekave     63
Body Modification Is Often a Sign of Cultural Depravity   Melanie Phillips     69
Piercing and Tattooing Can Be Dangerous   Pippa Wysong     75
Cosmetic Surgery Can Be a Form of Self-Mutilation   Virginia L. Blum     81
Cosmetic Surgery Boosts Self-Esteem   Michelle Copeland     88
Periodical Bibliography     97
What Triggers Self-Mutilation?
Chapter Preface     99
Unrealistic Images in the Media Contribute to Self-Mutilation   Teen Vogue     101
Cultural Oppression Can Trigger Self-Mutilation   Kimberly Sevcik     107
Domestic Abuse Can Trigger Self-Mutilation   Cathy Fillmore   Colleen Anne Dell   Elizabeth Fry     117
A Variety of Factors Can Trigger Self-Mutilation   Laura E. Gibson     123
People Who Are Faking Illness May Engage in Self-Mutilation   Marc D. Feldman     131
Periodical Bibliography     139
What Should Be Done to Reduce Self-Injurious Behavior?
Chapter Preface     141
Self-Injury Should Be Tolerated   Batya Swift Yasgur     143
Some Websites Promoting Radical Body Modification Should Be Censored   Virginia Tressider     148
Self-Injurers Should Tell Others About Their Problem   Celia Richardson     156
Medical Personnel Need to Respond to Self-Injurers With More Empathy   Zo Eastwick   Alec Grant     166
Self-Help Strategies Can Reduce Self-Mutilation   Deb Martinson     176
Prevention Strategies Should Be Adopted$dCornell University Family Life Development Center     187
Western Beauty Customs Should Be Defined as Harmful Cultural Practices   Sheila Jeffreys     199
Periodical Bibliography     208
For Further Discussion     209
Organizations to Contact     212
Bibliography of Books     217
Index     220

Editorial Reviews

Gr 9 Up- Williams looks at a variety of topics within this emotional disorder, including the seriousness of the problem, whether tattoos and piercings count as deliberate self harm, what triggers the behavior, and what can be done to stop it. While self-mutilation doesn't seem to lend itself to the "Opposing Viewpoints" format, essays cover unexpected and hard-to-find stances such as "Not Acting on the Urge to Cut Is a Serious Problem" and "Cosmetic Surgery Boosts Self-Esteem." The discussions on cultural expectations are enlightening, as are the chapters on how best to assist those who feel the need to harm themselves. Researchers will find good, solid information here.-Lynn Evarts, Sauk Prairie High School, Prairie du Sac, WI

School Library Journal

Review: Self-Mutilation "The titles in this series will be useful for students studying debate topics or researching for papers. It also teaches the valuable lesson that there are two sides to every issue."—ARBA, March 2009

From the Publisher