I chose self-harm as my topic on deviant behavior because I have dealt with this behavior through friends who have taken part in it, and because I feel, like many other deviant behaviors, it is misunderstood. This site provides great information as to why a person performs this type of behavior, warning signs/symptoms, how to help a friend/family member, and how to help yourself if you find that you are wanting to partake in these behaviors. Also, this site provides many links for sites that deal with self-injury and suicide prevention and help. In my opinion, we as a culture should spend less time labeling this behavior as deviant, and more time trying to help these people who feel as though they need to harm themselves to find relief. Many people think that this is a suicide attempt. However, from reading these sites and discussing the topic with friends, I have learned that the majority of the time these people do not want to commit suicide at all. I do not know if this type of behavior will ever be "accepted," and personally, I do not think that it should be. Like I said before, I believe that as a society we need to reach out and help, support, and care for each other more, especially when we find ourselves in the presence of those who are going through an emotional crisis.
Thanks for sharing this Allison. Self-harm, and other types of self-mutilation, are very different from suicide attempts. It is important to distinguish them and understand them so the help can be tailored to the specific problem.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with you that we need to help these people rather than label them as deviant. All labeling would do is cause them to harm themselves more becuase of the pain and hurt they are going through.
ReplyDeleteI love that your main focus is not on self harm itself but how you feel about it. I definately think that it is something that people need to look at more closely and actually try to help individuals instead of labeling them and making them seem less accepted.
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