Today we’re continuing our difficult discussion about teens and cutting. While it can be baffling to many outsiders, it’s essential to understand the true intention and the way to move forward if your loved one is engaging in this kind of self-harm. Check out our first post to learn about cutting’s relationship with suicide, and the reasoning behind this confusing behavior.

To parents, cutting is a scary and baffling trend. However, for many of our teens, it’s a desperate way of coping with pressures and emotions that are difficult to define. Cutting is a form of self-harm that has seen an alarming rise in the past decade or two. The initial reaction to learning that someone you know is engaging in self-harm is shock, confusion, and even fear. But it’s important to understand a few basic things about cutting, so that you can find productive reactions and solutions.