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CounselEd

Self-injurious Behavior in Social Media Consumed Youth

3

harm on one’s self. A historical look at the understand-

ing of SIB quickly reveals two archaic paradigms. Carr

(1977) originally explained SIB as a pursuit of positive

reinforcement in the form of attention. As research

on the topic progressed, a contrasting explanation

emerged presenting SIB as the pursuit of negative rein-

forcement in the form of escape (Griffin, Williams, Stark,

Altmeyer, & Mason, 1984). Beginning in the mid-80s to

present, a more progressive etiological understanding

of SIB has evolved. It suggests SIB is one’s effort to

regulate or express affect, relieve tension, feel a sense

of control, explore identity, and influence others (Ando-

ver, Pepper, Gibb, & Lynn, 2003; Favazza & Rosenthal,

1993). This broader model lends itself to a Trauma-

informed understanding of SIB in adolescents, specifi-

cally those who are highly influenced by social media.

A trauma-informed approach to SIB requires us to

step outside our cognitive-go-to constructs of trauma.

The 1994 publishing of the

DSM-IV

welcomed a new

qualifier to the PTSD diagnosis, “a perceived threat.”

Therefore, trauma is the emotional and physiological

response to an actual or

perceived

level of threat, risk,

criticism, or pain (Anderson, 2013). A perceived level

of threat leaves much room for personal interpretation.

Perhaps it is best stated as, “trauma is in the eye of the

beholder.” A person’s age, past exposure to trauma,

social support, culture, family psychiatric history and

general emotional functioning are some of the variables

related to individual trauma perception (McFarlane &

Yehuda, 1996). Moreover, a person’s reaction to trauma

is influenced by his or her emotional and physical prox-

imity to danger, degree of perceived personal control,

the length of exposure to trauma, the reaction of others

to the trauma, and the source of the trauma (McFar-

lane & de Yehuda, 1996; Bicknell-Hentges, & Lynch,

2009). Therefore, instead of assessing an adolescent

client from an investigative stance seeking to find the

precipitating trauma event, we must listen closer to the

adolescent’s perception and accumulative experience

of trauma.

Upon reflection of one’s middle school or teen years,

who could truly say he or she was left unscathed by a

traumatic event or, more likely, an overarching traumatic

impression? Not many. As adolescents begin middle

school and carry on into their teen years, they are in the

throes of Erik Erickson’s perhaps most awkward devel-

opmental stage, Identity vs. Role Confusion (Flemming,

2004). Here they focus on attainment of independence,

personal exploration, and the desire for empower-

ment. They develop a sense of self while desperately

seeking social acceptance. Their success in navigating

this stage results in a strong sense of control, identity,

and approval (Flemming, 2004). Interestingly, research

suggests that the precipitants for SIB in teens share

a theme of real or perceived rejection, abandonment,

and threat to a sense of identity combined with a highly