Self-injurious behaviour : Automutilation : analyse documentaire et répercussions sur les services correctionnels

Several challenges have contributed to this paucity of understanding, including the complexity of the behaviour, inconsistencies in terminology and definitions, confusion regarding what constitutes SIB, and the secrecy that surrounds the behaviour which make the gathering of reliable data difficult. [...] A summary of some of the classification systems and their limitations is provided in Table 1. Degree of lethality can be a particularly difficult aspect of the behaviour to evaluate. [...] Lohner and Konrad (2006) suggested that seriousness be assessed in the following two ways: (1) the medical seriousness (the severity of the injuries and risk of dying from the act); and (2) the motivational seriousness (how strong the death wish was at the time of the act). [...] Studies may use the average number of occupied beds, the number of admissions to the facilities, the average daily population, or the average length of stay to calculate prevalence rates, resulting in disparate estimates. [...] It is unclear whether individuals use NSSI as a method of coping with negative emotions associated with abuse, as a way of imitating the abuse inflicted upon them in the past (the abusive behaviour becomes “normal” for the individual) or whether the NSSI is the result of another factor or factors associated with the abuse experience.