Self-Injury (Cutting) for Relief
~ To spotlight & better recognize warning signs/behavior of potential self-injurers and victims of domestic violence.
~ To explore the core reasons people self-injure.
~ To examine what peers and educators can do to reach out to a potential self-injurer and/or victim of domestic violence.
In this award-winning episode, series character Ashley resorts to "cutting" to cope with an abusive father, who's regularly victimized her family as far back as she can remember.
Like a growing number of teens nationwide, Ashley regularly cuts her arms and legs, substituting her overwhelming inner pain and rage with an external pain that she is seemingly better able to manage. This last illusion is finally dispelled in a heart-wrenching finale that finds a desperate Ashley reaching out to a sympathetic teacher, Ms. Tanner, for help.
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