The Tender Cut : Inside the Hidden World of Self-Injury

Cutting, burning, branding, and bone-breaking are all types of self-injury, or the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one’s own body tissue, a practice that emerged from obscurity in the 1990s and spread dramatically as a typical behavior among adolescents. Long considered a suicidal gesture, The Tender Cut argues instead that self-injury is often a coping mechanism, a form of teenage angst, an expression of group membership, and a type of rebellion, converting unbearable emotional pain into manageable physical pain. Based on the largest, qualitative, non-clinical population of self-injurers ever gathered, noted ethnographers Patricia and Peter Adler draw on 150 interviews with self-injurers from all over the world, along with 30,000-40,000 internet posts in chat rooms and communiqués. Their 10-year longitudinal research follows the practice of self-injury from its early days when people engaged in it alone and did not know others, to the present, where a subculture has formed via cyberspace that shares similar norms, values, lore, vocabulary, and interests. An important portrait of a troubling behavior, The Tender Cut illuminates the meaning of self-injury in the 21st century, its effects on current and former users, and its future as a practice for self-discovery or a cry for help. Cutting, Burning, Branding, And Bone-breaking Are All Types Of Self-injury, Or The Deliberate, Non-suicidal Destruction Of One's Own Body Tissue, A Practice That Emerged From Obscurity In The 1990s And Spread Dramatically As A Typical Behavior Among Adolescents. Long Considered A Suicidal Gesture, [this Book] Argues Instead That Self-injury Is Often A Coping Mechanism, A Form Of Teenage Angst, An Expression Of Group Membership, And A Type Of Rebellion, Converting Unbearable Emotional Pain Into Manageable Physical Pain. Based On The Largest, Qualitative, Non-clinical Population Of Self-injurers Ever Gathered, Noted Ethnographers Patricia And Peter Adler Draw On 150 Interviews With Self-injurers From All Over The World, Along With 30,000-40,000 Internet Posts In Chat Rooms And Communiqués. Their 10-year Longitudinal Research Follows The Practice Of Self-injury From Its Early Days When People Engaged In It Alone And Did Not Know Others, To The Present, Where A Subculture Has Formed Via Cyberspace That Shares Similar Norms, Values, Lore, Vocabulary, And Interests. An Important Portrait Of A Troubling Behavior, [the Book] Illuminates The Meaning Of Self-injury In The 21st Century, Its Effects On Current And Former Users, And Its Future As A Practice For Self-discovery Or A Cry For Help.--publisher's Description. Literature And Population -- Studying Self-injury -- Becoming A Self-injurer -- The Phenomenology Of The Cut -- Loners In The Social World -- Colleagues In The Cyber World -- Self-injury Communities -- Self-injury Relationships -- The Social Transformation Of Self-injury -- Careers In Self-injury -- Understanding Self-injury. Patricia A. Adler And Peter Adler. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 231-249) And Index. Choice's Outstanding Academic Title list for 2013 2013 Honorable Mention for the Distinguished Book Award presented by the Midwest Sociological Society Honorable Mention for the Charles H. Cooley Award for Outstanding Book from the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Illuminates the misunderstood meaning of self-injury in the 21st century Cutting, burning, branding, and bone-breaking are all types of self-injury, or the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one’s own body tissue, a practice that emerged from obscurity in the 1990s and spread dramatically as a typical behavior among adolescents. Long considered a suicidal gesture, The Tender Cut argues instead that self-injury is often a coping mechanism, a form of teenage angst, an expression of group membership, and a type of rebellion, converting unbearable emotional pain into manageable physical pain. Based on the largest, qualitative, non-clinical population of self-injurers ever gathered, noted ethnographers Patricia and Peter Adler draw on 150 interviews with self-injurers from all over the world, along with 30,000-40,000 internet posts in chat rooms and communiqués. Their 10-year longitudinal research follows the practice of self-injury from its early days when people engaged in it alone and did not know others, to the present, where a subculture has formed via cyberspace that shares similar norms, values, lore, vocabulary, and interests. An important portrait of a troubling behavior, The Tender Cut illuminates the meaning of self-injury in the 21st century, its effects on current and former users, and its future as a practice for self-discovery or a cry for help. "Cutting, burning, branding, and bone-breaking are all types of self-injury, or the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one's own body tissue, a practice that emerged from obscurity in the 1990s and spread dramatically as a typical behavior among adolescents. Long considered a suicidal gesture, [this book] argues instead that self-injury is often a coping mechanism, a form of teenage angst, an expression of group membership, and a type of rebellion, converting unbearable emotional pain into manageable physical pain. Based on the largest, qualitative, non-clinical population of self-injurers ever gathered, noted ethnographers Patricia and Peter Adler draw on 150 interviews with self-injurers from all over the world, along with 30,000-40,000 internet posts in chat rooms and communiqués. Their 10-year longitudinal research follows the practice of self-injury from its early days when people engaged in it alone and did not know others, to the present, where a subculture has formed via cyberspace that shares similar norms, values, lore, vocabulary, and interests. An important portrait of a troubling behavior, [the book] illuminates the meaning of self-injury in the 21st century, its effects on current and former users, and its future as a practice for self-discovery or a cry for help."--Résumé de l'éditeur Cutting, burning, branding, and bone-breaking are all types of self-injury, or the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one’s own body tissue, a practice that emerged from obscurity in the 1990s and spread dramatically as a typical behavior among adolescents. Long considered a suicidal gesture, __The Tender Cut__ argues instead that self-injury is often a coping mechanism, a form of teenage angst, an expression of group membership, and a type of rebellion, converting unbearable emotional pain into manageable physical pain. Based on the largest, qualitative, non-clinical population of self-injurers ever gathered, noted ethnographers Patricia and Peter Adler draw on 150 interviews with self-injurers from all over the world, along with 30,000-40,000 internet posts in chat rooms and communiqués. Their 10-year longitudinal research follows the practice of self-injury from its early days when people engaged in it alone and did not know others, to the present, where a subculture has formed via cyberspace that shares similar norms, values, lore, vocabulary, and interests. An important portrait of a troubling behavior, __The Tender Cut__ illuminates the meaning of self-injury in the 21st century, its effects on current and former users, and its future as a practice for self-discovery or a cry for help. 4e de couv.: Cutting, burning, branding, and bone-breaking are all types of self-injury, or the deliberate, non-suicidal destruction of one's own body tissue, a practice that emerged from obscurity in the 1990s and spread dramatically as a typical behavior among adolescents. Long considered a suicidal gesture, [this book] argues instead that self-injury is often a coping mechanism, a form of teenage angst, an expression of group membership, and a type of rebellion, converting unbearable emotional pain into manageable physical pain. Based on the largest, qualitative, non-clinical population of self-injurers ever gathered, noted ethnographers Patricia and Peter Adler draw on 150 interviews with self-injurers from all over the world, along with 30,000-40,000 internet posts in chat rooms and communiqués. Their 10-year longitudinal research follows the practice of self-injury from its early days when people engaged in it alone and did not know others, to the present, where a subculture has formed via cyberspace that shares similar norms, values, lore, vocabulary, and interests. An important portrait of a troubling behavior, [the book] illuminates the meaning of self-injury in the 21st century, its effects on current and former users, and its future as a practice for self-discovery or a cry for help Cover......Page 1 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 1 Introduction......Page 14 2 Literature and Population......Page 35 3 Studying Self-Injury......Page 51 4 Becoming a Self-Injurer......Page 66 5 The Phenomenology of the Cut......Page 79 6 Loners in the Social World......Page 107 7 Colleagues in the Cyber World......Page 121 8 Self-Injury Communities......Page 141 9 Self-Injury Relationships......Page 157 10 The Social Transformation of Self-Injury......Page 180 11 Careers in Self-Injury......Page 194 12 Understanding Self-Injury......Page 212 Notes......Page 232 References......Page 244 I......Page 263 S......Page 264 About the Authors......Page 265