About 1 in 5 college students
self-harm. According to the CDC, 713,000 cases of self-inflicted
wounds ended in hospitalization in 2010.
A study by Cornell University and Princeton researchers found that 20 percent of female students and 14 percent of males, 17 percent total, “report that they have cut, burned, carved or harmed themselves in other ways (according to) the largest study on self-injurious behavior (SIB) in the United States to date.
However, fewer than 7 percent of the students studied had ever sought medical help for their self-inflicted physical injuries.” ( put this in table http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/2006/06/self-injury-prevalent-among-college-students-survey-shows)
Students engage in self-harm as a coping mechanism. Whether it is due to financial problems, relationship issues or difficulty in school, these students will end up inflicting serious bodily harm as a means of dealing with the issue.
With self-harm comes a certain stigmata, the students believe that they will be looked down on by others if their peers were to find out. So instead of seeking counseling or help from family, the students will attempt to hide the injuries, usually by cutting or burning in places that can be easily covered by clothing.
1 in 5. This is the same number of college students who are sexually assaulted each year. The same number who admit to abusing adderal or even catch a sexually transmitted disease. When we see a story with these facts, society demands action. Students support each other and try to make change possible. Why? Because 1 in 5 of your friends suffering might be suffering and need your help. Evidence of prior self-harm is found in nearly half of all suicide cases.
This is a recognized condition according to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and can be related to emotional abuse, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and many, many more conditions that are treatable and nothing to be ashamed of.
We have an obligation, not only as friends and family, but as fellow members of the same community to help and support each other when the need arises. The first step toward helping that one student 1 of every 5 is getting a dialogue started.
Resources are available on campus and off. If you or anyone you know needs help, please contact TJC’s crisis counselors, Tracey Williams
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Tutor Coordinator/Learning Specialist
Phone: 903-510-2041
Office: RSC-302
Toll Free: 1-800-687-5680 ext. 2041
e-Mail: twil@tjc.edu
Margaret Rapp
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Office: RSC-261
Phone: 903-510-2878
Toll Free: 1-800-687-5680 ext. 2878
e-Mail: mrap@tjc.edu
or the campus clinic on the second floor of the Roger’s Student Center. The 24 hour emergency nurse-line can be reached at (903) 510-ETMC.
