Cutting/Self-Mutilation among Adolescent Girls

The following discussion offers resources about cutting/self-mutilation
among adolescent girls.  The discussion took place on WMST-L in January
2005.  For additional WMST-L files available on the Web, see the
WMST-L File Collection.

I am looking for an analytical article/book on cutting/self-mutilation
among adolescent girls.  Particularly seeking something that would be
appropriate reading for an undergrad Women's Studies course.
Thanks.
Vera Whisman

Vera Whisman, Ph.D.
Women's Studies Program
Ithaca College
Ithaca, New York 14850
vwhisman  AT  ithaca.edu

Having gone through this with my daughter, I was much more impressed
with Mary Pipher's <<Reviving Ophelia: Saving the Selves of Adolescent
Girls,>>  which deals with cutting as part of a larger phenomena of
emotional problems in adolescent women, than I was with the specialized
studies of cutting.  I think it would be much more useful in a class,
since it gives attention to society's role rather than focusing solely
on disfunctional families and abuse.

Linda Payne
Director of Gender Studies
University of South Alabama
lpayne  AT  jaguar1.usouthal.edu

It's not "academic" but it is beautifully written, and analytic in a
reflective sense: Skin Game by Caroline Kettlewell. She cut for a long
time, kept it hidden. Nothing traumatic per se had happened but it was a
strategy for dealing with chaos. I'd think it would go very well in an
intro class. I used it in an autobiography class, and Caroline was nice
enough to "visit" my class in a virtual chat room.

Does anyone have any references or resources on how the topic of cutting or
self-harming can be approached with young women? I am also looking for
information on lesbian, bi-sexual, and questionning young women may use cutting
as a way to deal with the isolation.

Thanks,
Nythalah Baker
Women's Studies
Okanagan University College
Vernon, BC

I don't know if this will fill the bill, but a number of people have
found my article, "The Voice on the Skin: Self-Mutilation and
Merleau-Ponty's Theory of Language," (Hypatia: A Journal of Feminist
Philosophy, November, 1996) to be helpful.  The article discusses
self-injury as a non-verbal means of expressing trauma.  It's written
for general readers, not as a specialized piece of Merleau-Ponty
scholarship, and has been used as a resource by self-injurers.

Janice McLane
Dept. of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Morgan State University

> I am looking for an analytical article/book on cutting/self-mutilation
> among adolescent girls.  Particularly seeking something that would be
> appropriate reading for an undergrad Women's Studies course.
> Thanks.
> Vera Whisman

Robin Connors. Self Injury: Psychotherapy With People Who Engage in
Self-Inflicted Violence

Armando R. Favazza. Bodies Under Siege: Self Mutilation and Body
Modification in Culture and Psychiatry

Kim Hewitt. Mutilating the Body: Identity in Blood and Ink

These and other books and sites are listed on my page
cutting / self-injury resources
http://talentdevelop.com/cutting-r.html

Douglas
   ~ ~
Douglas Eby   de  AT  talentdevelop.com

Talent Development Resources  http://talentdevelop.com
Depression and Creativity  http://depressionandcreativity.com
GT Adults : giftedness/adult development  http://gtadults.com
Healthy Artist  http://healthyartist.com
Teen / Young Adult  http://talentdevelop.com/teens.html
Women and Talent  http://womenandtalent.com

I just want to note that when I spoke of resources on cutting not being
particularly helpful, I was not referring to the many
excellent-sounding scholarly studies that have been mentioned here, but
with the more "trade" books that were recommended to me by
psychologists.  It's good to know that so much work is being done on
the subject.

Linda Payne
Gender Studies
University of South Alabama
lpayne  AT  jaguar1.usouthal.edu

Hello,

As a way of opening up discussion with undergraduates on young women's
self-cutting, I want to recommend the experimental documentary, "Between the Lines,"
by Sophia Constantinou.  It's been a few years since I've seen it, but as I
recall it mixes evocative visual imagery with the words of young women, talking
about their experiences.  I think it would work well, especially with
arts-oriented students, perhaps in conjunction with a set of readings.  (I've shown
Constantinou's video, "Trans," in several classes, and it has generated good
discussion.)

Constantinou's website is <www.truepictures.com>.  The film may be available
at some university libraries (I just did a quick web search and found it
listed at Mount Holyoke library), but it is also distributed by Fanlight
Productions ( http://www.fanlight.com ).  Here is information from their website:

Between the Lines
By Sophia Constantinou
(1997; 21 minutes; black & white)
Purchase: $149 / One-Day VHS Rental: $60.00 / One-Week VHS Rental: $120

A visually lyrical, experimental documentary about women who cut themselves,
this film explores the gray areas in women's relationships to their bodies in
the context of deliberately self-inflicted injury. The women in Between the
Lines negotiate the fine line between self-destructive behavior and
self-preserving coping mechanisms.

"Commonly the focus is 'on the lines,' on the wounds. Yet what is most
important is what exists 'between the lines' -- the actual person. This is a crucial
work, that transcends the limits which usually constrain the exploration of
the topic of self-injury." -- Ruta Mazelis, The Cutting Edge

Awards & Conference Screenings:
Golden Spire, San Francisco International Film Festival
Director's Choice, Black Maria Film Festival
American Psychological Association
American Psychiatric Association
Western Psychological Association
New York EXPO of Short Film & Video
Bronze Award, Worldfest Flagstaff
Bronze, National Educational Media Network


Best wishes,

Shifra Diamond


*********
Shifra Diamond
Doctoral Student
Human Sciences: An Interdisciplinary Program in Language, Culture & Society
George Washington University
Campus e-mail: sdiamond  AT  gwu.edu
Home e-mail: shifradiam  AT  aol.com

i'm currently revising a paper on women's use of self-mutilation,
tattooing, and piercing as memorial practices and found the new
www.scholar.google.com very useful.

it is hard to find books on the topic that aren't 'self help' or
overly psycho-thereputic in nature.

the hewitt book mentioned is very good.  also, sheila jeffreys'
article in "feminism and psychology' (2000 10.4) has provoked at least
two critical responses (personally, i disagree with jeffreys').

in the past 5 years or so the number of critical articles on this has
really increased.

hope that helps some.

cheers,

nancy gobatto

My novel, Venus of Chalk (Firebrand, 2004), has themes relating to
self-harm, sexual orientation and body image.  Half Moon Scar by Alison
Green (St. Martin's) is another novel that works with self-harm/cutting.

Susan Stinson
PO Box 1272
Northampton, MA 01061
Susan_Stinson  AT  msn.com
http://www.susanstinson.net
author: Venus of Chalk, Martha Moody, Fat Girl Dances With Rocks