Nonsuicidal self-injury is a significant concern on college campuses. Hence, the authors, the International Consortium on Self-Injury in Educational Settings, offer the current position paper. First, the authors review current research in the field. Next, they discuss considerations for colleges' institutional-wide response to self-injury,…

School communities face challenges in responding effectively to the rising incidence of student self-harm. Evidence-informed guidelines may provide a platform for schools to provide better responses and improve the outcomes of students who engage in self-harm. This paper critically reviews policies published in English targeted for schools or…

Within the context of psychological counsellors and therapeutic encounters of psychotherapists, clients may reveal illicit fantasies where it is unclear whether he or she is acting out his or her illicit fantasies. Using web-based survey methods to collect qualitative data, I explored therapists' decision-making when clients disclose illicit…

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), the immediate and deliberate destruction of one's own body tissue, without suicidal intent, and not for purposes that are socially accepted, is a critical concern for youth in schools. Despite significant scholarly advances and increasing clinical awareness of NSSI, many school mental health professionals (MHPs)…

Around the world, school staff are increasingly expressing concern about nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and how best to address this behavior in the school setting. However, there is a notable lack of informed guidance for schools, and clear inconsistencies in the practices school staff adopt. In this position paper we draw on our collective…

Pica is a dangerous form of self-injurious behavior that occurs in people with developmental disabilities who are institutionalized. Studies also indicate that pica has led to the death of people with developmental disabilities. While a number of published studies have demonstrated that pica behavior can be decreased substantially with behavioral…

In this article, self-injurious behaviors are examined through the conceptual framework of relational cultural theory (RCT). As an emerging theoretical approach that takes into account the importance of relationships and relational goals, it is suggested that RCT be used in conjunction with mainstream approaches to treat self-injury.

In this article we summarize what is known about nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in youth. First, we describe basic demographic trends, prevalence, and function. Then we turn our attention to the implications of NSSI for schools, school-related policies, and school guidelines. Having provided an overview of the field, we conclude that even in the…

This article presents a family competency-based treatment approach that capitalizes on the strengths and resources of self-injuring adolescents and their families. Throughout the article, the author provides therapeutic tools and strategies that he has found effective in his clinical practice of working with self-injuring youth and their families…

This study employs a framework adopted in 2008 by Jacobson, Muehlenkamp, Miller, and Turner to explore differences in risk and treatment factors in a sample of 476 adolescent inpatients grouped with relation to their involvement in deliberately self-harmful (DSH) behavior. Participants were assigned to groups indicating no DSH, nonsuicidal…

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a growing concern among professionals working with youth. Recent studies exploring the occurrence of NSSI in middle and high schools indicate that 15% to 20% of students will admit to having engaged in this behavior at least once. The alarming number of adolescents engaging in NSSI poses a challenge to all…

Aggressive and destructive behaviors are an ongoing challenge for many children, adolescents, and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). What's behind these high-risk behaviors, and how can professionals help manage them? Discover the answers in this comprehensive text, the most up-to-date compendium of knowledge on…

This article offers a guide for using the Safe Kit when working with clients who self-injure. The Safe Kit can be used as a supplement to more traditional approaches to counseling and offers clients alternatives to self-injury when they need alternatives the most. The Safe Kit works under the assumption that individuals differ in the meaning they…

This document provides policy recommendations of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders regarding the use of seclusion procedures in schools. It includes (a) an introduction, (b) a declaration of principles, and (c) recommendations regarding the use of seclusion in school settings. Explanation or elaboration of policy recommendations…

This article proposes a framework that can be used by college counselors to assist in the development and implementation of a campus wide intervention that is congruent with sound clinical and administrative practices. A view of self-injurious behavior (SIB) informed by trauma theory espouses clinical treatment and a community response that has a…