Objective: To ascertain the association between pubertal stage and deliberate self-harm. Method: Cross-sectional survey of 12- to 15-year-olds in 300 secondary schools in the U.S. state of Washington in February-April 2002 and the Australian state of Victoria in June-August 2002. A total of 3,332 students in grades 7 and 9 provided complete data…

Thirty-two studies, involving 47 discrete experiments, are reviewed on the application of overcorrection to management of self-injurious behavior in intellectually handicapped individuals. The literature supports short-term efficacy of overcorrection. Reservations include the intrusive and restrictive nature of the technique and limited data on…

An historical overview of suicide in childhood and adolescence is presented. Current legal, etiological, and treatment issues related to the act of self-destruction, including data from British Columbia and other Canadian provinces are discussed. The role of the teacher in prevention and in providing support services for the bereaved is…

Rates of adolescent attempted suicide were correlated with social indicators over electoral wards of Edinburgh, Scotland. Rates were found to be higher in wards where child neglect and misbehavior were more common. Rates of attempted suicides in total population also were related to housing patterns/social class of the wards. (Author/NB)

Discusses three major concerns related to crisis situations in the school: policy development, creating an awareness of the problem, and staff training. Presents framework to assist school districts in planning appropriate interventions for at-risk students. Includes discussion of legal concerns and issues related to self-destructive behavior. (NB)

At the annual meeting of the National Interfraternity Conference, the national presidents of 59 fraternities voted to study alternatives to pledging. Some think that pledging has become synonymous with hazing, and that eliminating pledging would reduce the chances for abuse. (MLW)

An analysis of suicide methods revealed that 78.7 percent of one state's suicides used a firearm. Whites had a higher risk of using firearms in suicide than nonwhites. Married, widowed, and divorced persons were more likely to use a firearm than those who had never married. Other findings are discussed. (RJM)

This study of 266 college students, using strict and liberal definitions of sexual abuse, suggests that adults who experienced childhood sexual abuse that involved touching are more suicidal and have less cognitive deterrents to suicide than adults who did not, regardless of gender or whether they were abused by adults or peers. (Author/JDD)

The six vital ingredients of student self-esteem are physical safety, emotional security, identity, affiliation, competence, and mission. Educational reform efforts will not succeed until educators reinforce character-building practices promoting self-respect as a basis for learning and achieving. Principals must provide leadership in staff…

Based on questionnaire responses, 139 ninth and twelfth graders were divided into low and high drug use groups. High use subjects viewed drug use as less harmful than did low use subjects and were less likely to view parents or the law as authorities concerning drug use. (BC)

This study presents three cases of adults with profound developmental disabilities in which assessment data showed that self-injurious behavior occurred in at least two test conditions and describes a method used to analyze the effects of treatments based on hypotheses of multiple control. (Author/DB)

This study effectively eliminated face-slapping behavior in a 10-year-old boy with severe developmental disability and autistic characteristics. The subject wore wrist weights for up to 30 minutes each day. Face slapping did not occur during a follow-up check conducted five months after study completion. (Author/DB)

Students at alternative high schools may be at substantial risk for drug abuse. Provides an overview of the drug-use-related context of continuation high schools in southern California. A total of 144 students and 96 staff were interviewed from 20 continuation high schools. Data indicated continuation school students had high levels of substance…

Analyzes interviews with four self-injuring young women. Suggests the meaning of self-injury is not the same as the meaning of attempted suicide, and that the two acts are related in the sense that self-injury is an adaptive alternative to suicide. The function of self-injury is a communicative act. The extent to with self-injurers can control…

The goal of this study was to examine the relationship between self-mutilation and symptoms of depression and anxiety in a nonclinical population. Self-mutilators reported significantly more symptoms of depression and anxiety than did the control group. When the group of self-mutilators was divided into individuals who cut themselves and…