Gwen Corley, LCSW: Any Teen Can Become a Cutter
Gwen Corley. Photo courtesy of WUSA 9.
National Association of Social Workers member Gwen Corley said some teenagers who cut themselves are depressed and others have been victims of abuse.
However, even young people with none of these problems can become cutters, said Corley, MSW, LCSW, who was interviewed by WUSA 9 television in Washington, D.C.
“Cutting is a cry for help,” Corley said. “It could be anybody.”
To read and watch the interview on this troubling trend, click here.
To learn more about how social workers help people deal with mental issues click here to visit NASW’s “Help Starts Here” Mind and Spirit Web page.
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This is a serious and important issue and I applaud MS. Corley’s work. My one concern is about the title of this article. Given the stigma surrounding mental illnesses (which often result in people not seeking help), the phrase “a cutter” can be seen as objectifying and stereotyping. Couldn’t we use people-first language and say “Any teen can become someone who cuts themselves”?
I agree, “cutter” is just another label here that causes people to separate themselves from so-called “cutters” instead of recognizing that this is a problem that goes beyond the physical act of self-injurious behaviors.
I’m responding to this topic because cutting is an problem that affects a large segment of our adolescent population. A young lady that I knew took her own life earlier this year and she had been cutting herself for months. She was receiving therapy and it still happened.
I think that at least part of the answer is to increase public awareness regarding this problem and educating all children about the need to be positive and supportive toward their peers and to let adults know when they are aware that another child is engaging in or contemplating self-destructive behavior.
I recognize that what I am advocating is a tall order. It will only happen if more parents and school personnel encourage and support these things.