My niece and nephew who are brother and sister tend to cut themselves .......?

Question

I can see the marks on their hands,arms and legs. They always have an excuse for it. But the other day I was talking to my nephew and he mentioned that he cuts himself with his pencil until he draws blood. I know this is a problem, a psychological one, but I can't find anything on the internet about it. If anyone can tell me what this habit is called please let me know so I can research it.
Thank you for your time. Peace and love your way.

Answer 1

It's called cutting.. and it's a serious problem.. they may now be doing it out of curiosity, but they need intervention to be sure that they don't escalate it into a patterne of self destruction. Contact their parents immediately and suggest they speak to a medical professional immediately.. If you see it getting worse and no one is responding then you need to call in CPS or CHS.

Answer 2

I don't know enough about cutting to have much to offer, although, obviously, it requires attention.

Are they older kids (like ten and up) or may they be littler kids (particulary around 5,6, or 7)... It probably makes a big difference.

If they're older they may either have the psychological problems associated with a desire to cut and feel the pain or else they may have heard of it and are trying it (this one would be big for people who may be 11 to 15 or so).

Littler kids do really stupid stuff. I knew a kid who methodically worked away at a spot on her leg until she had a giant "cut" of about 4" in diameter! Someone else I know was bored in first grade and discovered that pinching the arm that rested on the table/desk with her fingernails made "interesting" little "c" marks that were white but later turned brownish! Some kids are bored and do the thing where they start sliding their hair up into horrendous knots (again, because its "interesting"). As a kid I discovered how "interesting" it was to vacuum-suck a small drinking glass around my mouth and chin - until I created a horrible purple "clown thing" on my face and panicked when my mother couldn't help me get rid of it (pancake make-up is useless in such a crisis). There are probably as many stupid things can think up to do as there are kids.

I think you should consider the ages of the children, and if they're older talk more to them to get a reading on how serious it may or may not be; but then talk to their parents. While its true their parents could be causing it if the parents take the children for help the counselor will discover that and know how to talk to the parents.

If the kids are little and happen to both be near the same age (two heads is always better than one when it comes to thinking up stupid stuff to do), you may want to comment to the parents but it may be nothing.... (could be something, too, but the chances of that aren't as good as if the kids are older).

Answer 3

Hurting yourself on purpose in any way is called self injury or self mutilation. Cutting yourself is also sometimes refered to simply as cutting.

You didn't mention how old the kids are, which makes a difference, but either way you should tell their parents. Cutting is most common among teenagers, and especially teenage girls, although most teens who cut will try to hide the marks, so you probably wouldn't know about it. Younger kids are less likely to know that it's "bad" (that people might think less of them, try to stop them, etc.), and so they're like likely to hide it. And their reasons for doing it may be different as well. For teenagers, it's usually either a way to get attention, or a way to deal with overwhelming emotional stress. Younger kids might do it for those reasons as well, but there are also several genetic disorders that cause kids to hurt themselves in various ways, and younger kids are also more likely to hurt themselves out of furstration, boredom, or even just to see what happens.

But regardless of their reasons for doing it, it's a bad thing, and they need professional help to stop. You should tell their parents to take them to a psycologist.

Here are some links for more information:
http://www.coolnurse.com/self-injury.htm
http://www.nmha.org/infoctr/factsheets/selfinjury.cfm
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-harm

Answer 4

http://www.focusas.com/SelfInjury.html

i just did a google search of cutting self mutialtion.
Its unlikey they will cut enough to bleed to death.
It is indicitive of a serious problem.
Im not so sure you should run and tell the parents.
edit: PLEASE dont tell RUN and tell their parents without more information! you could end up escalating the problem. If the parents dont see it, and you do, THERES SOMETHING WRONG!
If they are young, chances are the parents are the cause. I would try to talk to them more in addition to reseach, sounds like your nephew is starting to trust you. Use that and dont betray his it yet.

Answer 5

A book exists called Cutting-look it up on Amazon.com or at your local library. Lots of sites on the internet explain self-mutilation and its treatment. Google self mutilation.

Answer 6

Its called self mutilation and its a serious problem that I think you should mention it to their parents. Its a rush for some people and it gives them a high. It can lead to more serious things such as death. They should see some professional help.

Answer 7

Tina M is correct - this is something that requires immediate attention and professional attention. Tell the parents immediately.

Answer 8

self mutilation. new fad called emo is out there . or they may have been experiences through trauma caused by others.

Answer 9

you need to immediately report this to child protective services as this can get way out of hand if not taken care of ASAP

Answer 10

DON'T WORRY ABOUT RESEARCHING IT GO TO THE PARENTS SO THEY CAN GET THEIR KIDS HELP B 4 IT'S TO LATE AND THEY END UP CUTTING TO DEEP LEADING TO DEATH