Effective Interventions for Treating Superficial Self Mutilators

Self-cutting is the most common form of self-mutilation in adolescents but there is insufficient knowledge as to which treatment methods to reduce self-mutilation are most effective. This exploration into the causes of self-cutting and the treatment interventions, such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), compares adolescents who had DBT treatment with those who have used other treatment methods. Research findings indicate that the average age of adolescents in treatment was 15 years old and had been in treatment at least one time prior. Adolescents in DBT treatment showed signs in reducing/stopping self-cutting behavior along with improving communication skills with caregivers. Implications of this study show the need for further research to help educate professionals about the effective treatment for treating adolescent self-cutters

‘Ways of death: accounts of terror from Angolan refugees in Namibia’

In their accounts of the war in Angola, refugees from south-eastern Angola who now live in Rundu (Namibia) draw a distinction between warfare in the past and the events that happened in their region of origin after Angolan independence in 1975. Although they process their experiences through recounting history, these refugees maintain that the incidence of torture, mutilation and massive killing after 1975 has no precedent in the area's history and forms an entirely new development. This article investigates the reasons for this posited modernity of killing, torture and mutilation. The placement of the recent events outside local history is shown to represent: an expression of outrage, anger and indignation at the army's treatment of the civilian population during the recent phase of the war. The outrage not only concerns the scale of the killing, torture and mutilation but is also linked with the issue of agency. The informants accuse UNITA army leaders in particular of wanton disregard for the lives and livelihood of their followers. They furthermore maintain that UNITA ordered ordinary soldiers to take part in killings which released powers the soldiers were unable to handle

Volunteerism and Community Mobilization for the Abolition of Fgm: Lesson Learnt from the UNV Pilot Project in Sudan.

This paper reflects on some of the lessons learnt from UNV interventions of using volunteerism to mobilize local communities to combat female genital mutilation/cutting in Sudan

Female genital mutilation in Kenya : a literature review

This thesis is based on literature review and the author`s own experiences about Female Genital Mutilation in her own community in Kenya. The author will also describe Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya. WHO 1997 defines Female genital mutilation as all procedures involving partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs, for non medical reasons. The studies were identified through the electronic database, OVID database (CINAHL, MEDLINE,EBSCO), Pubmed, Science Direct and Your Journals@Ovid using the following key words: FGM, FGC, Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya, Female Genital Mutilation in Africa, Role of education in eradicating FGM, Female circumcision and Alternative rites approach for FGM . My comprehensive search strategy included all articles published in English between the periods of 1993-2009. The results in this final project answers the research questions in that there are other alternative rites approaches that substitute the practice of Female Genital Mutilation in local communities and also it gives the reasons why Female Genital Mutilation is not a safe practice to be practiced

Kajian Yuridis Female Genital Mutilation (Fgm) dalam Perspektif Hak Asasi Manusia (Studi terhadap Praktik Female Genital Mutilation di Indonesia)

The position of female genital mutilation is in human rights perspective (both of international and Indonesia) should be a main element for making the regulation and policies in a practice of female genital mutilation that must be banned. It relates to the womens violation and based gender discrimination which is seen from the impact and implementation of female genital mutilation. This research uses a normative judicial approach, which is a legal research that is conducted by researching in library way or secondary data. Female genital mutilation that is viewed by human rights perspective. In fact, the impact and practice of female genital mutilation, has fulfilled the element of based gender discrimination and violence against women that cause physical, non physical and sexual abuse. Therefore, the international community and the government of Indonesia should stop explicitly the practice of female genital mutilation, through legal action, make a binding rules and policies with a gender perspective

We need to stop female genital mutilation!

Over the next decade around 30 million girls under age 15 are at risk of FGM/C. Given that there is no physical benefit for the girls and acknowledging that FGM/C involves physical, psychological, social and reproductive harm, we, along with major international and national governmental and non-governmental organizations find FGM/C a severe violation of human rights. We must encourage vigorous action among health providers, civil society, womens organizations, funders, international agencies, international and national courts of justice, global and religious leaders, and governments to change this unacceptable practice.Fil: Belizan, Jose. Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Miller, Suellen. University of California; Estados UnidosFil: Salaria, Natasha. Biomed Central; Reino Unid

Debating medicalization of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) : learning from (policy) experiences across countries

Background: Although Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is internationally considered a harmful practice, it is increasingly being medicalized allegedly to reduce its negative health effects, and is thus suggested as a harm reduction strategy in response to these perceived health risks. In many countries where FGM/C is traditionally practiced, the prevalence rates of medicalization are increasing, and in countries of migration, such as the United Kingdom, the United States of America or Sweden, court cases or the repeated issuing of statements in favor of presumed minimal forms of FGM/C to replace more invasive forms, has raised the debate between the medical harm reduction arguments and the human rights approach. Main body: The purpose of this paper is to discuss the arguments associated with the medicalization of FGM/C, a trend that could undermine the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 5.3. The paper uses four country case studies, Egypt, Indonesia, Kenya and UK, to discuss the reasons for engaging in medicalized forms of FGM/C, or not, and explores the ongoing public discourse in those countries concerning harm reduction versus human rights, and the contradiction between medical ethics, national criminal justice systems and international conventions. The discussion is structured around four key hotly contested ethical dilemmas. Firstly, that the WHO definition of medicalized FGM/C is too narrow allowing medicalized FGM to be justified by many healthcare professionals as a form of harm reduction which contradicts the medical oath of do no harm. Secondly, that medicalized FGM/C is a human rights abuse with lifelong consequences, no matter who performs it. Thirdly, that health care professionals who perform medicalized FGM/C are sustaining cultural norms that they themselves support and are also gaining financially. Fourthly, the contradiction between protecting traditional cultural rights in legal constitutions versus human rights legislation, which criminalizes FGM/C. Conclusion: More research needs to be done in order to understand the complexities that are facilitating the medicalization of FGM/C as well as how policy strategies can be strengthened to have a greater de-medicalization impact. Tackling medicalization of FGM/C will accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal of ending FGM by 2030

Cutting: what school counselors should know about students who self-injure

Includes bibliographical references

Women's position and attitudes towards female genital mutilation in Egypt : a secondary analysis of the Egypt demographic and health surveys, 1995-2014

Background: Female genital mutilation (FGM) is still widespread in Egyptian society. It is strongly entrenched in local tradition and culture and has a strong link to the position of women. To eradicate the practice a major attitudinal change is a required for which an improvement in the social position of women is a prerequisite. This study examines the relationship between Egyptian women's social positions and their attitudes towards FGM, and investigates whether the spread of anti-FGM attitudes is related to the observed improvements in the position of women over time. Methods: Changes in attitudes towards FGM are tracked using data from the Egypt Demographic and Health Surveys from 1995 to 2014. Multilevel logistic regressions are used to estimate 1) the effects of indicators of a woman's social position on her attitude towards FGM, and 2) whether these effects change over time. Results: Literate, better educated and employed women are more likely to oppose FGM. Initially growing opposition to FGM was related to the expansion of women's education, but lately opposition to FGM also seems to have spread to other segments of Egyptian society. Conclusions: The improvement of women's social position has certainly contributed to the spread of anti-FGM attitudes in Egyptian society. Better educated and less traditional women were at the heart of this change, and formed the basis from where anti-FGM sentiment has spread over wider segments of Egyptian society