Self-harming behavior in incarcerated male delinquent adolescents

This report describes self-harming behavior in males in a juvenile incarceration center. Three groups of adolescents were examined: self-harmers, those referred for a psychiatric examination, and the incarcerated general population. Compared to the general population, the youth in the two mental health groups were younger, had greater family needs, had more educational problems, were more likely to have escaped from a previous placement, and committed more rule violations. The self-harming group, when compared with the psychiatrically referred group, had a greater number of prior offenses, were more disruptive in school, performed worse on a problem-solving task, and committed more rule violations. Issues of psychopathology and treatment are discussed.