ABSTRACT
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is becoming more prevalent and has become a global concern (Lewis & Plener, 2015). NSSI is being engaged in more frequently by youth in primary and secondary school settings, at earlier and earlier ages; it is occurring more frequently in college settings; as well as has been more prevalent in outpatient counseling settings. This is causing an increase in the number of mental health professionals that are requesting and seeking training on NSSI behaviors and interventions, teachers and school staff who seek additional information to implement strategies and policies in their schools, as well as parents who want to know more in order to help their children. As the director of a mental health facility, Barent Walsh (2012) stated that while originally NSSI was primarily a behavior engaged in by individuals who felt negatively toward their bodies, a “newer” group has emerged that self-injures based on the inability to manage stress, cope with aversive emotions, communicate with others, or reconnect to or ground one’s physical body. NSSI has been found across all demographics, including males and females, various ethnic and racial groups, and across a wide range of ages and socioeconomic factors. No one individual or demographic is necessarily sheltered from engaging in or being connected to someone who engages in NSSI.
