Research Paper

The Interrelations of Self Harm and Sexual Orientation

A Research Paper Presented to

The English Resource Center

School of Multimedia and Arts

Asia Pacific College

Magallanes, Makati

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Course

ERESWRT-Research

Benedict Kyle S. Almadin

August 2014

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

A. Background of the study

Self Harming is going viral in today's society. The percentage of self harming teenagers went three times higher than the last decade. According to this article by Lorenza Bacino entitled Shock figures show extent of self-harm in English teenagers in theguardian.com, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a survey around 6,000 15+ year-olds in over 41 schools across the UK and found out that 6.9% of them had self harmed over the past year which put the figures to 20% of the teenagers appear to be self harming. 


Ms. Bacino also wrote that, "young people are turning to strategies such as self-harm to manage stress in the short term" (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/21/shock-figures-self-harm-england-teenagers). The society today is much more different than before. As much as the technological advancements makes the people's lives easier, it also kind of make the world evolve and turn into something more competitive and challenging.


Self Harming seems to become a trend in the generation of teenagers today. There are a number of self harm websites sprouting here and there. Self harm websites are are websites that are quite popular on people who self harm. They can be blogs, forums, groups or group chats. One popular self harm website is called Tumblr. One of the most controversial self harm cases that went viral over the internet was of Tallulah Wilson's. According to this article by Jemima Owen entitled The internet didn't kill Tallulah Wilson, but nor did it do much to help her also from website theguardian.com. She raised controversies to the blogging website Tumblr. Articles often described her as this beautiful, talented, and privileged young lady. Especially regarding to her exceptional gift for Ballet. According to Tallulah's mother she was addicted to tumblr. She would spend hours and hours blogging about her alter ego as a wild cocaine-snorting drinker. Her mother saw pictures of Tallulah posted on her blog wherein she pulls her hair out of rage and doing sorts of stuff to harm herself. When she discovered her blog and saw this concerning pictures she banned her from it and contacted tumblr to bring it down. Tallulah became depressed when she lost her blog along with her 18,000 followers that she claims to "like me for who I am" she then took her life on the tracks at St. Pancras Station in October 2012. This made tumblr ban and remove pages promoting self harm or posts with triggering content. 


"Young people are more likely to move away from the negative seduction of these sites if they find real companionship and non-judgmental understanding. That is why it is so important to talk openly, to raise awareness in schools and at home, and to support families seeking help." (http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/25/internet-tallulah-wilson-websites-teenage-suicides). This was written by Ms. Owen in the latter part of her article and this should serve an awareness for people who does not take self harming seriously.

What people doesn't know is that a large percentage of self harming teens are mostly homosexuals. A study was made and it turns out a large percentage of self harmers are part of the LGBT community.

We need to study this to learn the interrelations of self harming and sexual orientation as to know why the LGBT community are more prone to hurting themselves.


The purpose of this paper is to learn the factors that contribute to the prevalence of self harming among the teenage homosexuals, to know the interrelations between self harming and sexual orientation.


B. Statement of the Problem

This study aims to answer the question:

1. What are the factors that contribute to the prevalence of self harm among the LGBT Youth?


C. Significance of the Study

Society-  This research paper aims to inform the society about the alarming concerns about the LGBT youth. This can make people understand that the LGBT youth are not different from everybody else and deserves to be treated equally with mutual respect.


LGBT Youth- This research paper aims to benefit the LGBT Youth for them to be understood and be taken care of and to lower the statistics of them self harming and attempting suicide.


Future Researchers- This study is beneficial to future researchers for them to have sources since this topic is sensitive, crucial and not being talked about in the society.


D. Scope and Delimitation

This study will focus on the the factors that contribute the prevalence among the teenage homosexuals and how are they interrelated. It may take course but will not focus on the issues on the LGBT community i.e. homophobia, hate crimes, same sex marriage, etc...


E. Materials and Methods 

The information, statistics and surveys relevant to this study are gathered from various references through online sources. The researcher used this sources to gather facts and information to inform the society of the prevalence of self harm among teenage homosexuals.

This study will provide evidence such as statistics and research among the self harm that was prevalent on the LGBT youth.


F. Definition of Terms 

1. Self Harming-  is an act of intentional and direct injuring of ones own body tissues most often done with suicidal attempts or intentions.
2. LGBT Community/Homosexual Youth- pertains to the people who belong to the LGBT community namely: Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual and other sexuality that belongs to the gender spectrum.
3. Heterosexual Youth- pertains to the people who are not part of the LGBT community and is attracted to a person of the opposite sex and born cishet or a person who identifies with the sex assigned to it by birth or non-transexuals.

Blog post 9: Self Harm and Autism

Self Injurious Behavior (SIB) are displayed by individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities. This kind of behavior includes repetitive physical harming to one's own body. I was genuinely intrigued by this new added information that self harming cannot only function as a way to cope with stress or a way to pleasure one's self (masochism) but also as a biological disability or illness.

I have read this article entitled Introduction to Self-Injurious Behavior by Gary Heffner. He enlisted some typical forms of Self Injurious behaviors an autistic child or adult may engage in namely: hitting oneself with hands or other body parts, head banging, biting oneself, picking at skin or sores, and scratching or rubbing oneself  repeatedly. However, he said the cause of self injurious behaviors remains a mystery just like autism. The possible causes can be chemical imbalance, sinus problems, head aches, attention-seeking, seizures, ear infection, frustration, seeking sensory stimulation/input, sound sensitivity, and/or to escape or avoid a task. He also said that less noticeable self harm may be more dangerous than explicit self injuries. Bleeding wounds or bruises are going to heal when given treatment but repetitive behaviors such as lightly  banging the head or rubbing the skin can have serious even life-threatening consequences over time. 

One important passage written by Mr. Heffner is, "The danger of repetitive rubbing or tapping can also cause tissue damage over time and, if the head is involved, may even cause brain damage over many years. The point is, all forms of self-injurious behavior should be treated as soon as it is noticed" If you notice a relative or even a friend of yours who likes to engage on such activities that hurts or injures them self, you should inform their parents or a counselor or anyone who can be knowledgeable for these kind of things.

I have also researched about how you should treat or cure a person who exhibits self injurious behavior due to autism. I came to find this article by Dr. Stephen Edelson entitled Understanding and Treating Self Injurious Behavior, the first step is the Functional Analysis. In Functional Analysis, you should obtain the information on how the person who exhibits self injurious behavior harms himself. You should also analyze and assess the possible Psychological causes on why the self harmer harms them self whether it is from biochemical, seizures, genetic, arousal, pain, sensory, and/or frustration; Or Social causes such as: communication, social attention, obtained tangibles, and/or avoidance or escape. 

I would like to quote this vital statement written by Dr. Edelson, "It is important to understand that there are different reasons why individuals engage in self-injurious behavior...Research has also shown that aversives may reduce or eliminate self-injurious behavior by training the person to inhibit his/her behavior." For parents who saw self injurious behaviors on their child do not worry. Training your child not to harm himself/herself should do the trick preventing them not to bite their hands or giving them a toy for distraction may help. If their behavior still persisted, it is better to consult a doctor who has in depth knowledge about self injurious behaviors.

Blog Post 8: Religious Self Harming

Religion? Self Harming? You are probably wondering what's the connection between self harming and religion. I was too, until I have researched about it. Religious Self Harming or as they like to call it Self Flagellation is an act of hurting one's self as a form religious ritual. Many of us recognize self flagellation (in Philippine History) as the "Penitensya" or Penitence often done during the Lenten Season to commemorate such christian values and history of faith and sacrifice. Let us take an overview to Religious Self Harming.



According to this article entitled No pain, No gain: A brief look at religious self flagellation by Mark Griffiths, Religious Self Flagellation is a voluntary mortification of one's self and offering the pain or discomfort to God. It has been endorsed by the Popes as a way of following Christ, who suffered and died in a bloody crucifixion. It is done for symbolic purposes during penitential processions to remind devout believers that Jesus Christ was whipped before he was crucified. Some even engage in "Passion Plays" where people reenact the painful scenes and practices of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.  The purpose of penitence according to the Brotherhood of Canindenziho is to Purify their soul and redeem them on unholy acts , such as women and alcohol, as a step closer to God, and Thank God for granting them graces they previously petitioned. Usually, the procedure of self flagellation goes like this: the selected penitents take their shirts off at once and hit their backs with razor blades attached to the end of string relentlessly for  an excruciating 20 minutes. Children from age 10 and up can also participate in the ritual. However, women on the contrary cannot because they are already believed to be 'sufferers'. After the self flagellation, the penitents put their shirts back on as if nothing had happened and go home to cleanse their wounds.  

Mr. Griffiths' latter words on the article was, "During my research for this article, I came across numerous academic papers that noted religious and cultural factors may influence self-harm but none of these papers indicated how prevalent religious self-harm was (but I am assuming it was rare given the lack of statistics). Given that we know little about the incidence or prevalence of such behaviour, this is certainly an area worthy of further academic research." I agree on this statement he wrote. I personally think that self flagellation or religious self harming, though done with religious beliefs and virtue is not right. The price have been paid. Jesus Christ himself suffered on the cross for his believers not to. I think it is a form of blasphemy to God when they hurt them self because he personally gave his son's life for the humanity not to suffer and yet they are doing it to themselves again.

Furthermore, I have read this article by Kieran Mccartan entitled Why do some Catholics self-flagellate?. It says here that Self Flagellation is a widespread symbolic practice in some parts of the Catholic Ministry up to the 1960's but is uncommon today. But in some countries like the Philippines, it is called the Passion Play wherein as I said, in my previous article is a public reenactment of the suffering of Jesus Christ. For others, it is a more private expression of faith. It is thought to have come to prominence in Western Europe around 600-800 AD as an extreme version of bodily penance according to a catholic theologian at Durham University.Early Christians believed that in doing self flagellation, they can control their emotions in order to fully worship God. 

Its also says here that, the late Pope John Paul II did also self-flagellate according to his nun who helped to look after him at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo near Rome. However, the revelation didn't surprise the catholic scholars for the pope is a firm believer of the New Testament tradition of suffering.

I would like to quote what Mr. Mccartan have written about as to why self flagellation seems to have disappeared, "Early Christians thought the body was evil and needed to be controlled. Quite simply, we now have a greater understanding that such practices are not healthy." I cannot agree more to this statement. I have no intention to break or disagree on anyone's religious belief or virtue but in my opinion no one should feel that they should carry the burden of being a sinner and need to be punished because the son of God already paid for that price.

Blog post 7: Self harm and Masochism (BDSM)

Masochism is the pleasure or enjoyment that someone gets when being hurt or humiliated especially when done sexually. One of the most common ways of masochism is BDSM. BDSM  is a variety of erotic practices involving Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism or Sadomasochism (SM), and other types of sexual play. These undoubtedly, however performed usually with a partner, is a form of self harming. 

According to this article that I have read by Michael Castleman entitled A loving introduction to BDSM, BDSM isn't abusive its about trust and communication. There are several types of BDSM: power-play or domination and submission which involves one lover has control or dominates the other, sadomasochism which involves spanking, flogging and other types of intense sensation, and bondage discipline which involves restraint. 

Ancient Greek Art showed signs of BDSM. The Kama Sutra (300AD) involved erotic spanking. However, BDSM gained popularity in the 18th Century when some European brothels began specializing in restraint, flagellation, and "punishments" that was done by dominant women to submissive men. 
In 1791, French Marquis de Sade published the first SM novel called Justine, which involved spanking, flogging, nipple clamping, whipping, and restraints. His name inspired the word "Sadism". He was then imprisoned for criminal insanity for many people deemed that the sexual practices he popularized are crazy.
In 1870, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, published his novel called Venus in Furs, about male sexual submission. His name inspired the word "Masochism".
In 1905, Freud coined the word "Sadomasochism, calling its enjoyment neurotic.

I would like to quote what Mr. Castleman have written, "BDSM is never abusive. It's always consensual, Abuse is not." This is a very important statement especially to those who are into BDSM for it clarifies the stigma that lovers who practise BDSM are abusing each other. 

I have read this article entitled, Love Hurts: Sadomasochism's Dangers by Russel Goldman. It is about this Canadian College Professor who spent 3 days in coma after losing consciousness in a New York Sex Club where he was left alone with a dog collar around his neck and a leather hood on his face. The man was identified by the New York Post as Robert Benjamin, 67 years old. He passed out in a club called Nutcracker Suite when his foot turned blue after the high-heeled shoe he was wearing fell off and the oxygen flow to his brain was cut off while his arms was restrained and hanged. He was rushed to the hospital and awoke after 3 days of coma. He then promised to his wife that he will never engage to dangerous sex again. Another case of extreme dangerous sex happened to Adrian Exley, a British national, whom suffocated to death in a closet in Rhode Island by Gary LeBlanc a man he met online. Exley was found wrapped in a heavy plastic bound with duct tape and a leather hood over his head. The two men didn't expected that to happen although they both consented to the sex act. Later, LeBlanc committed suicide according to The Associated Press.

I would like to quote what Mr. Goldman have written, "But sadomasochism is difficult to define. Some practitioners engaging in highly dramatized "play" that has more to do with theater than pain, while others look to be severely tortured..." BDSM can sometimes be dangerous and my only advice to people who practise it is to be extra more careful for too much of a something can be very unhealthy or even fatal.

Blog post 6: Self Harm and Bullying

According to Wikipedia, Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively impose domination over others. It consists of four basic types of abuse – emotional , verbal, physical, and cyber. It typically involves subtle methods of coercion such as intimidation. So ask yourself, Have you ever been bullied? Ever bullied someone? Well, I hope you haven't because being bullied raises the risks of self harming.

According to the survey in this article that I have read entitled Self-harm 'motivated primarily by bullying' by Michael Buchanan, the main reason why young people self harm is because of being bullied. It was polled online by 4 major self harm support groups in the world wide web namely: Self-Harm.co.uk, ChildLine, Youth Net and Young Minds. The survey divided the reasons why young people self harm into 5 categories: Bullying (25%), Family Relationships (17%), Pressure to do well at school (14%), Emotional Abuse (11%), and Friendships (11%). The author also cited 2 reasons on why bullying leads to self harming. One is Venting Frustration. After years of being bullied 16-year old Chloe can relate to the findings. She said, "You just get to a point where you need to do something about it, and its just a way of venting your frustration. I was thinking, 'If you can hurt me on the inside, why can't I hurt myself on the outside?' ". She also said that it was like converting or replacing emotional pain to physical pain. Whenever she was having a bad day at school she always find a way to vent her frustrations so usually she just lock herself inside her room and chose not to  associate or interact with anyone. Another reason is the Growing Problems. When we are going through puberty so many things are happening to our body and mind that we can't even keep up. Our hormones affect the way we think the more likely the preteen or the teen agers to be stressed or pressured. Lastly, Mr. Buchanan said that having the courage to seek help is the first step in dealing with your problems. 

I would like to quote what Mr. Buchanan had written, "Self-harm is an expression of how someone is feeling, it's not the problem itself, an expression of a very difficult emotional distress. We've got into the habit of focusing on what young people are doing, cutting or burning, and we're forgetting it's the underlying issue we need to be digging into." Self harm is not the sickness. It is the effects of the major illness itself. The Emotional Distress. I personally think that the more people who understands this the lesser the self harm cases will be in the world. 

For added information, I have read this article entitled Being Bullied Increases Likelihood of Self-Harm written by Rick Nauert. UK researchers from the University of Warwick and University of Bristol discovered that being bullied in primary school increases the risks marginally later in adolescence. They surveyed 5,000 children of the 90's who had been bullied from ages 7-10 years old. The study found that 16.5% of 16-17 year olds had self-harmed and 27% of them are suicidal. That means those who were subjected to bullying over a number of years in primary school were five times more likely to self harm in 6-7 years later in adolescence. 

An important statement written by Mr. Nauert is this,“I’d like to see clinicians routinely asking children about bullying – from name calling to more physical acts of abuse. The importance of this early intervention should not be understated. If we were able to eliminate bullying, while other exposures remained constant, there would be a potential to prevent 20 percent of all self-harm cases.” I think the school clinic should do this. I strongly agree with this idea because as a child I've also experienced being bullied and in children's tiny little heart's perspective it is a very bad,weighing and unpleasant feeling to carry especially when you don't know how to defend yourself or too intimidated to tell your parents or the school disciplinary officer.

Blog Post 5: Perfect Families and Self Harming

What is a perfect family? Three meals a day? Happily married parents? Basically, everything a child can ever dream of having: Food, Shelter, Clothing, Security, Quality Education, Loving Parents etc. But why is that some of the articles that I've read about self harming often the self harmers come from a good or dare I say a "Perfect Family"?

I have read this article about a self harming teen, Sophie, written by her mother Anna Stone entitled Self-harm: why would she cut herself? (not their real names for privacy as this story concerns very intimate and personal matters). It was one of the interesting self harm cases that I have read. One day, Sophie rang up her mom from the other side of London saying that she can't go home by riding the tube(an underground transport system in London) because the cut from her foot was hurting too much so she was asking if she can take the taxi cab home instead. Her mother said Yes immediately of course. When Sophie got home she was clearly looking ill so her mother asked to see how bad the cut from her foot was. Hesitantly, Sophie took off her shoes. Her mother was shocked of how serious the wound was. Her foot is swelling, purplish in color, and she was feverish. They went to the hospital and Sophie was diagnosed to have a cellulitis. It is a bacterial infection so she was put on antibiotic drip in the children's ward. As the nurses undressed her to put the hospital clothes on her she struggled to cover her forearms. Then and there, her mother saw a series of finely cut scars, some were fresh and newly cut, some where fully healed. Sophie told her mother that she allowed her foot to be infected and she wanted to die. Her mother asked her why  did she do that and Sophie described it as a relief from intense pressure like she's burting out of her skin like a sausage under the grill. However, what Sophie's mother cannot understand is that she goes to an all girls' school, she's clever, funny, beautiful and without a care in the world. Apparently, what they hadn't considered is, in a school like Sophie's, competitiveness could apply not only to academic work, looks or popularity but also to self harm. Sophie made friends with the wrong people. At 14 years old she started self harming. Not that peer pressure is the only factor that urged her to self harm but it somewhat encouraged her to do so. Her friends and her compare on who has the multiple scars, deepest cuts, or who had cut themselves just before the start of a lesson in the school toilet etc. Her parents tried talking to her but Sophie refused to do so. Not to her parents, grandparents or godparents. She is also terrified to take anti-depressant pills so they didn't force her. But she did agree to talk to a complete stranger. Her therapist. Slowly and gradually Sophie gained recovery she didn't need the feel to cut herself after receiving a reprimand from her mother nor does her mother  worry that much anymore to find blades or any sharp material that she can use to injure herself. 

An important statement from the article written by Anna Stone is "Cutting is, however, an addiction; another young woman told me that it’s as if there are two worlds, 'the clean, white world everyone else knows, and the secret world of blood and filth underneath' " There is a world that exists only to self harmers but not to us. We must try to understand them and be gentle to them because deep  inside they are such fragile creatures living in this hostile and morbid world.

Another article that I have read is about Tallulah Wilson written by Jemima Owen entitled 
The internet didn't kill Tallulah Wilson, but nor did it do much to help her. She is one of the most famous and viral self harmers that I have read about. She raised controversies to the blogging website Tumblr. Articles often described her as this beautiful, talented, and privileged young lady. Especially regarding to her exceptional gift for Ballet. 
According to Tallulah's mother she was addicted to tumblr. She would spend hours and hours blogging about her alter ego as a wild cocaine-snorting drinker. Her mother saw pictures of Tallulah posted on her blog wherein she pulls her hair out of rage and doing sorts of stuff to harm herself. When she discovered her blog and saw this concerning pictures she banned her from it and contacted tumblr to bring it down. Tallulah became depressed when she lost her blog along with her 18,000 followers that she claims to "like me for who I am" she then took her life on the tracks at St. Pancras Station in October 2012. This made tumblr ban and remove pages promoting self harm or posts with triggering content. 

"Young people are more likely to move away from the negative seduction of these sites if they find real companionship and non-judgmental understanding. That is why it is so important to talk openly, to raise awareness in schools and at home, and to support families seeking help." This was written by Ms. Owen in the latter part of her article and I think this should serve an awareness for people who does not take self harming seriously. If you see someone from your school without any friends try and talk to them. They might dismiss you, yes, but at least they will know that they are not alone.

Blog post 4: Tattoos and Body Piercings a form of Self Harming?

Tattoos and Body Piercings originated from ancient tribes as a form of identification, a measurement of who's the most dominant and/or attractive and other various purposes. Nowadays it is a form of aesthetic and an art of expressing one's self. We all know that the process of body piercing and having tattoos hurt, but is it considered a form of Self Harming?

I have read this article by Ms. Tracy Alderman entitled Tattoos and Piercings: Self Injury?, this article discussed several factors that might be considered if this two said activities is a form of self harming or not. The first factor that should be considered is, Tattoos and Piercings obviously inflicts harm to one's self, however, most people don't tattoo or pierce themselves they ask for a professional's help or assistance. The second factor is getting a tattoo or a piercing is a lousy and ineffective way to kill yourself it defeats the idea that either of this behaviors would result as an attempt of suicide. Nonetheless, that is the major point of all the non-suicidal self harmers. They hurt themselves without the actual intention to kill themselves. The last factor that separates self injury from tattoos and piercings is that of pride. The majority of people who get tattoos and piercings are proud of their new decoration. It becomes a part of them self. It symbolizes bravery, art, sentimental value or even tells a story about them self. They want to show others of their ink, studs or plugs. It tells a story of pain, experience, fear, and/or love or liking. Contradictory to those people who hurt themselves.They do not tell anyone about it. They didn't want it to be known. Self harmers go to their extent to hide their scars, they create stories, accidents or wear long sleeves even in the hot weather. 

I agree with this statement Ms. Alderman have said, "Once in a while there will be cases in which piercing and/or tattoos do fit the definition of self-injury." but there are also distinctions and differences to consider whether tattoos and piercings should be proclaimed as an act to  harm one's self or not.

Furthermore, I have read this article by Mr. Christian Jarret of Reader's Digest entitled Tattoos, body piercings and self-harm - is there a link?. This article encloses the research done by German psychologists, Aglaja Stirn and Andreas Hinz, both researchers of Reader's Digest . They collaborated with the body modification magazine called Taetowiermagazin hiring 432 of their readers to answer a comprehensive questionnaire about their tattooing and piercing practices and motives. The number of participants that admitted to have harmed themselves in their childhood. That is 27%  of the participants who have joined the survey. Thus, the self harmers have reported that they had their body tattooed and/or pierced to help overcome a negative experience or simply to experience physical pain and not have the scars. They also said that their tattoos and piercings have helped them cease their self harming. 

I'd like to quote this important statement Mr. Jarrett wrote based on the research done by Stirn and Hinz, "However, because body modifications have become so common and accessible, they are also used with probably increasing frequency as a convenient means to either realise psychopathological inclinations, such as self-injury, or to overcome psychological traumas." Tattoos and piercings helped some people overcome their self harming and I think that's a good thing. It helped them express them self in a form of art at the same time freeing them from the chains of self harming.