4. In his book Cutting, author Steven Levenkron focuses on a psychological problem that is too often avoided or ignored: Levenkron describes the psychological experience of young patients, often girls, who seek relief from pain and anxiety by cutting or scratching their own bodies. As Levenkron points out, cutting or self-mutilation is an all-too-common phenomenon. It may, in fact, be as common as anorexia or bulimia, yet it is seldom discussed, in part because self-mutilators work hard to keep their dangerous behavior a secret. It's possible, too, as Levenkron suggests, that most people, even therapists, don't want to acknowledge the reality of self-mutilation. In the words of the author, "Just as we fear the human potential for violence against others, we may also fear the possible impulse to hurt ourselves." Fearful of what cutting means, we turn away from it, and refuse to acknowledge its presence in our midst. Yet when five hundred school psychologists were asked if they had treated a cutter in the last year, they indicated that they had each treated two or three per school. Self-mutilation among young teenage girls can no longer be ignored. We need to acknowledge its existence and make treatment available.
Purpose
To inform readers about the psychological problem known as cutting, or self-mutilation
To persuade readers that self-mutilation has to be acknowledged and treated
Tone
emotionally neutral
ironic
concerned