If a teacher caught someone cutting themselves or saw them with cut marks on their arms......?

Question

Can they do anything about it? What can they and can't they do about it? It is not any of their business, is it?

Answer 1

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/self-injury/DS00775
Self-injury/cutting
Introduction

For people who can't fathom deliberately hurting themselves, self-injury may seem shocking and frightening. But for people who do injure themselves by cutting or other means, self-injury offers a momentary sense of calm and a release of tension. Unfortunately, that's usually quickly followed by guilt and shame and the return of other painful emotions. And with self-injury comes the very real possibility of inflicting serious and even fatal injuries.

Self-injury isn't a specific disease or condition. Rather, it's a type of abnormal behavior. It may accompany a variety of mental disorders, such as depression and borderline personality disorder. Because self-injury is often done on impulse, it's sometimes considered an impulse-control behavior problem. Self-injury is also known as self-harm, self-injurious behavior and self-mutilation.

http://health.discovery.com/centers/teen/cutters/cutters.html
http://www.kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/cutting.html
http://www.kidzworld.com/site/p4217.htm
http://www.thehelpline.net/selfinjury.html
http://teenadvice.about.com/od/cuttingbranding/
http://www.webmd.com/content/article/53/61375.htm

Answer 2

Lola,

Every dedicated teacher should not only carry strong concern for their pupil's education, but also for their safety--protecting them from harm by others......or themselves.

Teachers today are endlessly trained on spotting potential signs of any type of abuse from students---and they have strong effective LEGAL resources ready should such abuses become proved. It's part of the "give and take"; YOUR parents successfully took a stand against corporal punishment in schools---but teachers regained their intervention rights in the process.

So yes, it IS their business when they see YOU going "emo", cutting yourself or others. Oh.....by the way....if caught cutting others, you CAN be in hot water trouble (not to mention your parents being in the soup, too).

Quoting Andy Williams (you don't know who he is, so don't ask) "You might think it.......but donnnn't do it".

Answer 3

Well, it may not be their business as far as their personal life is concerned. However, as a teacher - when you are at school, they should take the steps necessary to make sure that you are ok. So, in someway they should intervene which may be something as simple as referring you to a school counselor.

Answer 4

If your a teacher you should go to your administration and have the parents contacted immediately. Especially if its affecting school. And if your adminstration says they cant do anything, you should take it into your own hands. I believe that its better to step into boundrys you are not supposed to then to sit idle and watch. If something horrible happened, it would weigh on your concience terribly.

Answer 5

they can report it to the school nurse who in turn will call the parents=yes when someone is cutting themselves it is very much their business to get the cutter some help

Answer 6

I think they have to do somethign about it. If a person is hurting themselves, it is serious and they have the right to let the parents and school psychologist know.

Answer 7

they can send u to a counsler, and possibly recomend you to got to a psych hospital... despit ur right to privicy, the shcool is your temporrary guardian, so if u cat caught ur screwed... sorry bout your luck. just dont do it at school. and if the see marks, u can always lie, or just say its not their problem, but that will just get you a trip to the principal/guidance counsler