A new study from Brown University found that 46% of teen report "self-injury." However, the study included not only cutting or burning oneself, but also getting a tattoo, pulling out hair, or picking at a sore until it bled.

Elizabeth Lloyd-Richardson and her colleagues surveyed 633 high school students. Those who admitted to self-injury said that they did it to feel in control, to stop bad feelings or to get someone's attention.

Other studies have indicated that about 20% of girls and 17% of boys self-injure. This new study appears in the August 2007 issue of Psychological Medicine.

ByParents-ForParents offer help for parents of troubled teens on a variety of topics ranging from dating, to cyberbullying, to cutting.

Labels: cutting, risky_behaviors, self-harm