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A GROWING and alarming trend of self-mutilation among Nelson Mandela Bay teens is stirring concern among psychologists and school counsellors.

The disturbing issue is one of several confronting youth in the Bay, including depression and entertaining thoughts of suicide, with Bay schools experiencing a spike in the number of young people cutting themselves.

School counsellors say some self-mutilate for emotional reasons and because of deeper, underlying problems while others are following a “trend”.

Self-mutilation (also known as self-harm) can include cutting, branding, picking at skin, pulling out hair, and hitting, tattooing, piercing, and drinking harmful chemicals, said Summerstrand psychologist Greg Smith.

Johannesburg self-mutilation expert Lee-Ann Hartman includes needle-sticking, carving, interfering with wounds, bruising and punching.

Hartman said a definition of self-mutilation was the direct and deliberate, often repetitive, destruction or alteration of one’s body tissue without conscious suicidal intent.

Smith said he was aware of a rise in self-abuse behaviour, especially among teenagers. He said it could be attributed to a number of causes, including inadequate coping mechanisms in an increasingly stressful world.

“Parents are too busy to spend quality time with their children. Children begin emulating their peers who they see as role models. In a sense de-individuation occurs, a kind of group mentality (evolves), for example ‘emo’ (slang for emotional) culture.”

Smith added anyone was susceptible to self-harm.

Alexander Road High School counsellor Ann Roberts agreed, saying often teenagers were too scared to talk to their care-takers as parents over-reacted.

She said the most worrying factor was in the younger grades where she had seen cutting becoming a “trend” as opposed to being the result of emotional issues in the older grades.

She stopped short of blaming “emo” for the trend saying youth who ascribed to “emo” culture were automatically put into the category of cutters.

“This is definitely not the case ... One of the main reasons is children feel like they don’t have someone to talk to and bottle up emotions.”

In 1996, the late Princess Diana came out and told the world she had been a “cutter” and world famous actress Angelina Jolie has also admitted to cutting herself. In Britain, health-care researchers estimate one in 10 teenagers may practise some form of addictive self-mutilation.

South African figures do not exist, said expert Hartman.

“We rely on international statistics, but it is definitely a problem in South Africa.

“I personally have definitely seen an increase in people who do self-harm.”

She also said more recently there had been developments at schools where groups of young people “cut” together. ”

When asked who was in the risk bracket, she was adamant self-mutilation occurred across race, gender, occupation, age and socio-economic divides.

A 24-year-old Bay resident who had an eight-year history of “cutting” said it was a “weak choice” because it only made you feel better for a short while.

“It’s much more common than people think. It’s also extremely secretive and addictive.”

She ended up in ICU twice after taking it a “bit far” – but says if she saw things then the way she sees them now, she would never have started cutting.

Teen magazine director Julie Coetzee said: “There have been many negative and scary reports in the local press which give teens the idea of how to cut, rather than how to get out of cutting. Every parent we come into contact with is worried about it.”

Nicky Delport, guidance counsellor at Clarendon Girls’ High School in East London, said they held a snap survey across two Grade 11 classes in which they asked students to anonymously submit questions they would like to ask. Counsellors then created a questionnaire from the submissions.

“One of those questions was: ‘Have you ever hurt yourself on purpose or for pleasure’,” said Delport. “Self-abuse is definitely a point of interest amongst students, whether they want to find out for comparison purposes or not to feel isolated.”

Smith said: “Recognise that you have a problem. This is not about you being a bad person, but about a coping mechanism that has become addictive and is harmful. Find a person you can trust and tell them about your behaviour.

“Seek out professional help to aid you in identifying the triggers which cause the behaviour and who can help you develop better ways of calming and soothing yourself.”