Abuse or Self-Harm?!
Question: I was wondering on if there was anyway I could tell if my freinds wounds are from abuse or self-harm. I know she is going through abuse, and I also know she does self harm. I just don't know anymore if the wounds I see are from the abuse or the self harm. Is there anyway to make the differnce by just looking at the wounds?
Answers: I was wondering on if there was anyway I could tell if my freinds wounds are from abuse or self-harm. I know she is going through abuse, and I also know she does self harm. I just don't know anymore if the wounds I see are from the abuse or the self harm. Is there anyway to make the differnce by just looking at the wounds?
This site has a lot of useful links:
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/c...
Also, consider giving her this hotline number...
Self Harm Hotline
1-800-DONTCUT
Help for "cutters"
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CHILD ABUSE
USA Child Abuse Hotline National Child Abuse Hotline
800-4-A-CHILD (800-422-4453)
The Childhelp USA hotline is a national twenty-four hour toll-free hotline for child abuse. It's purpose is to take calls from anyone dealing with abuse and connect them with the agencies set up to report and deal with abuse in their state and locality.
It's hard to tell. How old is she? What do the wounds look like (i.e. bruises or cuts)? Ask her how she got them. If she says an accident it's probably self-harm. Otherwise it's abuse.
I'm really not sure on that one... Abuse would usually show up as bruises and things like that... If there are really clean cuts though, straight etc, then it is probably self harm. You should probably just talk to her... Sorry couldn't be of more help...
no well if its self harm they might say that they do things to themselves like they were doing something on purpose and then just something happened also these stories may be rlly short and quiet ex. "idk i was cutting something and i accidentally cut myself"or they would just say like oh i dont know" abuse is well im gessing like umm
"I tripped down the steps" or ran into something
Look to see where the wounds are. And look to tell WHAT they are (cuts, scrapes, bruises, or burns). Bruises and scrapes are rare for self-harming people. If they do it in the first place, they've gotta be angry at something. And one way(for them) to take it out is to hurt to hurt themselves...badly. Burns and cuts (most of the time the cuts are deep or big) are more self harm... asking her what they are from won't really help. Neither abuse or self-harm are things people will openly admit to. You'd have to pry it out of her with one heck of a crowbar.
sorry for the long answer.
Legally (where I live anyway) if you know for sure that someone is being abused you have to report it to the authorities. Child services or something.
And the self-harm can actually be a coping mechanism from the abuse. Take away the abuse you may very well take away the reason she hurts herself.
Either way I don't really think it matters if the wounds are from abuse or self harm. In either case you have to get her help!
But as for the difference between the self harm and abuse? It depends. For her self harm does she cut herself or burn herself? Does she scratch herself with her nails or hit herself. Cuts will usually be straight, like if a cat scratches you. Burns aren't usually a form of abuse, unless it's beyond the usual hitting. Scratches from her nails or hitting herself could look more like abuse.
But again, either way, as her friend you need to get her help, first for the abuse, once the abuse is gone it's easier to help her kick the habit of self harm. People taken away from an abusive household are often forced into therapy anyway so the abuse and self harm will be dealt with there.
So I don't know if this helped at all. It's lengthy but I don't know how much you actually take out of this.