Cutting: An Unhealthy Coping Skill

By Meghan Stewart, M.S., LCPC

The act of cutting to make one feel better may seem contradictory. This is why cutting has become widely known and easily accessible for adolescents. As a parent, you may have heard about cutting but what are the red flags and what can you do?

The term cutting can be described as intentionally causing harm to oneself through the use of sharp objects which create scratches, marks, or cuts. This can include items like razor blades, scissors, broken items such as mirrors or plastic pieces (think broken make-up compacts or disassembled pens) or even scratching with fingernails to cause harm. You may think about scratches or marks across the inside of someone’s arms, which is common, but cutting can occur anywhere on the body.

According to the American Psychological Association about 17% of adolescents have engaged in non-life-threatening or self-harming behaviors at least once. Those that do engage in self-harming behaviors like cutting have a higher risk of experiencing depression, hopelessness, and lower self-esteem than those of their peers who do not engage in cutting.

What can you do as a parent? In short, be as non-judgmental and supportive as possible. Talk with your adolescent to understand but not to criticize or place blame. Work together to identify triggers for their cutting. This can include people, settings, or memories. Through my work I have also seen adolescents identify certain book series that become triggering which increased their cutting. Their triggers are going to be unique to them so don’t discount their concerns because it doesn’t make sense to you. Supporting them in healthy coping skills such as going for a drive or walk, playing with a pet, listening to music, or drawing can be alternative ways to cope. A healthy coping skill is going to be something that makes them feel safe and calm.

Other interventions that help harm minimizations include allowing them to wear a rubber band to snap on their wrist, pinching themselves, or drawing or painting on their skin. Providing controls for your adolescent may help them feel more willing to share and open up to you, which is the goal. As always, seek professional help when needed. Primary care providers, mental health professionals and school counselors are great resources, and they can guide you to next steps. ■