Self-injurious behavior is prevalent in early childhood and it affects almost 53% of young children with disabilities. Once these behaviors are consistently present, they may become resistant to intervention. The purpose of this article is to provide early care and education center providers and family caregivers with ways to effectively reduce…

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has many behavioral and cognitive features that would make it appear to be closely tied to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessive-compulsive-related disorders (OCRDs) have been described in the literature as conditions that share a common phenomenology, neurobiology, and treatment response. The authors…

Treatment of nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) among adolescents within a school setting poses unique and specific challenges. Further, schools vary in resources available to students, and school psychologists differ in training regarding interventions for youth who self-injure. Currently there are no evidence-based approaches to the assessment and…

One-hundred seventy-three studies that employed functional assessment were evaluated with respect to types of challenging behaviors studied and the functions identified that maintained those behaviors. For most studies, two to three behaviors were targeted. Of the 38 different challenging behaviors identified, self-injurious behavior (SIB) and…

Objective: College counseling centers (CCCs) are increasingly being called upon to treat highly distressed students with complex clinical presentations. This study compared the effectiveness of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for suicidal college students with an optimized control condition and analyzed baseline global functioning as a…

When students reach adolescence, they have often been known to devise destructive outlets for their self-expression (e.g., suggestive dress, tattoos, piercing, and sexual risk-taking). Recently growing in popularity, to almost epidemic proportions in the general adolescent population, is the act of self-injury. Self-injury refers to the…

The increasing prevalence of self-injurious behavior (SIB) among mainstream adolescents has led to a growing body of research. This maladaptive behavior is used as a means of regulating negative emotions. Best practices regarding therapy are unclear, with many types of intervention being tried. Analysis of 36 qualitative and quantitative studies,…

Objective: Although child maltreatment is associated with later non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the mechanism through which it might lead to NSSI is not well understood. The current retrospective case-control study examined associations between child maltreatment and later NSSI, and investigated the mediating roles of dissociation, alexithymia,…

Background: Self-restraint is a pervasive phenomenon among individuals who engage in self-injurious behaviour (SIB). Materials and Methods: The present study examined the use of clothing as a socially acceptable alternative to self-restraint to reduce SIB and other topographies of self-restraint in an adolescent diagnosed with autism. Two separate…

While awareness of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) appears to be increasing among school counselors, social workers, nurses, and others who work with youth, it remains one of the most difficult behaviors to encounter, with few professionals feeling well equipped to handle these situations. This introductory article aims to define NSSI, describe…

Concern about the prevalence of nonsuicidal self-injury is widespread. Members of an electronic listserv for college counseling center directors nationwide were invited to participate in a Web survey to investigate provider experience with nonsuicidal self-injury; 290 surveys were analyzed. Most respondents perceived recent increases in…

Self-injury (SI) is defined as the act of deliberately destroying one's own body tissue without suicidal intent in a way that is not widely socially acceptable and is not as a result of mental retardation, autism, or other developmental delays. The review of the self-injury literature focused on the definition, prevalence, and other basic aspects…

This case study was conducted with a student diagnosed with autism and Tourette syndrome who displayed severe self-injurious behavior (SIB). We conducted a functional behavioral assessment which indicated that SIB was maintained by multiple functions using an ABAC design to determine the effect of positive social attention and extinction. Results…

The researchers examined the effect of a classroom-based intervention on the frequency of aggression-related injuries occurring at an inclusive early education center. Aggression-related injuries involving five children decreased 79% following the intervention. Teachers implemented the procedures with fidelity. Treatment fidelity and child…

A growing number of students presenting with nonlethal self-injury has recently captured the attention of school nurses. The purpose of intentional self-harm is aimed at reducing emotional distress. This is not a new phenomenon, but what is alarming is the increasing incidence of self-injurious behavior among adolescents. This behavior is raising…