Self-injury
Self-injury phenomenon emerging at Japanese schools
"Wrist-cutting and other forms of self-injury are surfacing as problems at schools, a survey by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry's National Institute of Mental Health has found.
Wrist-cutting had been cited as a problem at Japanese junior high schools and high schools in the past, but the survey is the first to back up such fears.
The survey was conducted on 126 second-year students at a girls' high school in Kanagawa Prefecture, and 477 second- and third-year students at a public junior high school in the same prefecture.
The students were asked various questions, such as, "Have you ever injured your body with a knife or pointed object?" Answers were recorded anonymously.
A total of 14.3 percent of the female high school students said they had purposely injured themselves at least once, while 6.3 percent said they had done so at least 10 times.
At the junior high school 9.3 percent of the 238 female students and 8 percent of the 239 male students said they had cut themselves with blades.
In addition 27.7 percent of male junior high and high school students and 12.2 percent of female junior high and high school students said they had smashed their heads or fists against walls or similar objects.
When asked why they had injured themselves, various answers were given, such as to escape feelings of anger or as an expression that they were seeking help.
Some schools are struggling to deal with the problem. Last year, wrist-cutting suddenly began to spread at a public junior high school in the Tokyo metropolitan area. At first the problem was limited to just a few students, but the school later confirmed that at least 20 of the fewer than 200 third-year students at the school had slashed their wrists. School officials said students appeared one after the other at the school nurse's office saying, "I went and cut myself."
A teacher who treated some of the students said there had sometimes been more than one injury at a time.
"There were times when I treated the wrist of one student with one hand while tightly holding the hand of another student. It wasn't limited to just wrists either. A group that cut crosses on the backs of their hands also appeared. All of them seemed to want others to notice their suffering," the teacher said.
Because of the problem, teachers at various junior high schools and high schools have held meetings to help people learn about wrist-cutting. However, those involved have continued to come forward with various worries, saying the number of young people who injure themselves is continuing to increase, but there are no places or time to quietly speak with each of the victims, and that the mental burden on teachers who see students with cut wrists every day is severe. Others wonder how far into households schools should delve when dealing with the problem.
Osamu Mizutani, a 49-year-old teacher who is known to have helped many troubled youths, often receives inquiries from people who have injured themselves. He said in one case all of the members of a junior high school girls' basketball team injured themselves, thinking it was their fault that a teacher had told off one person.
Toshihiko Matsumoto, a doctor at the National Institute of Mental Health, said he has also heard of an increase in the number of people injuring themselves from his colleagues.
"I want people to give (the victims) words of sympathy, such as, 'It's hard for you, isn't it?' or, 'Let me know if you feel like cutting yourself again,' and to give them the chance to express themselves in words and understand their feelings," he said."
Mainichi News, February 6, 2006
"Wrist-cutting and other forms of self-injury are surfacing as problems at schools, a survey by the National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry's National Institute of Mental Health has found.
Wrist-cutting had been cited as a problem at Japanese junior high schools and high schools in the past, but the survey is the first to back up such fears.
The survey was conducted on 126 second-year students at a girls' high school in Kanagawa Prefecture, and 477 second- and third-year students at a public junior high school in the same prefecture.
The students were asked various questions, such as, "Have you ever injured your body with a knife or pointed object?" Answers were recorded anonymously.
A total of 14.3 percent of the female high school students said they had purposely injured themselves at least once, while 6.3 percent said they had done so at least 10 times.
At the junior high school 9.3 percent of the 238 female students and 8 percent of the 239 male students said they had cut themselves with blades.
In addition 27.7 percent of male junior high and high school students and 12.2 percent of female junior high and high school students said they had smashed their heads or fists against walls or similar objects.
When asked why they had injured themselves, various answers were given, such as to escape feelings of anger or as an expression that they were seeking help.
Some schools are struggling to deal with the problem. Last year, wrist-cutting suddenly began to spread at a public junior high school in the Tokyo metropolitan area. At first the problem was limited to just a few students, but the school later confirmed that at least 20 of the fewer than 200 third-year students at the school had slashed their wrists. School officials said students appeared one after the other at the school nurse's office saying, "I went and cut myself."
A teacher who treated some of the students said there had sometimes been more than one injury at a time.
"There were times when I treated the wrist of one student with one hand while tightly holding the hand of another student. It wasn't limited to just wrists either. A group that cut crosses on the backs of their hands also appeared. All of them seemed to want others to notice their suffering," the teacher said.
Because of the problem, teachers at various junior high schools and high schools have held meetings to help people learn about wrist-cutting. However, those involved have continued to come forward with various worries, saying the number of young people who injure themselves is continuing to increase, but there are no places or time to quietly speak with each of the victims, and that the mental burden on teachers who see students with cut wrists every day is severe. Others wonder how far into households schools should delve when dealing with the problem.
Osamu Mizutani, a 49-year-old teacher who is known to have helped many troubled youths, often receives inquiries from people who have injured themselves. He said in one case all of the members of a junior high school girls' basketball team injured themselves, thinking it was their fault that a teacher had told off one person.
Toshihiko Matsumoto, a doctor at the National Institute of Mental Health, said he has also heard of an increase in the number of people injuring themselves from his colleagues.
"I want people to give (the victims) words of sympathy, such as, 'It's hard for you, isn't it?' or, 'Let me know if you feel like cutting yourself again,' and to give them the chance to express themselves in words and understand their feelings," he said."
Mainichi News, February 6, 2006
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