Why do people hurt themselves? In an article in the American Journal of Psychotherapy, Louise Ruberman notes that approximately 2.1 million adolescents suffer from nonsuicidal self-injury, or NSSI. Young women between the ages of 14 and 18 participate in NSSI due to poor relationship development with their mother, childhood abuse, and psychiatric disorders. While there are several ways to cause injury to oneself, cutting the skin as a means of self-mutilation is believed to be the most common (Ruberman 119). We will begin by examining the problems that occur during the development of the relationship between a mother and daughter at a young age. Gender role identity and body image are directly related to the relationship a girl has with her mother while growing up. At a young age, a girl needs to feel accepted and positively identified by her mother to be happy with her femininity. Mothers play a very important role in helping girls establish their self-esteem, because a girl's first role model is most often her mother (Daniluk & Usmiani 47). If this relationship somehow goes astray, the girl can easily form a negative body image of herself. Self-abusing behaviors often occur right around the age of puberty, and the reaction to negative self-esteem can result in NSSI and cutting. According to Ruberman (120), girls who choose to cut as a means of self-harm use their skin as a “canvas” to open up and gain some control over their bodies. This behavior stems from the lack of control they feel they possess. Ruberman (120), states in his article that a mother's task is to stay next to her daughter as she grows from birth without interfering with her own emotions... medium of paper... communication tools when less strategies intense actions have failed, such as screaming or speaking. All in all, the decision to partake in self-punishment is greatly influenced by the behavior of others while growing up. Works Cited Glassman, L. H., Weierich, M. R., Hooley, J. M., Deliberto, T. L., & Nock, M. K. (2007 ). Child maltreatment, nonsuicidal self-harm, and the mediating role of self-criticism. Behavior Research and Therapy, 45(10), 2483-2490. doi:10.1016/j.brat.2007.04.002.Ruberman, L. (2011). Girls who cut: Treatment in a psychodynamic psychotherapy outpatient study with adolescent girls and young adult women. AmericanJournal Of Psychotherapy, 65(2), 117-132. Usmiani, S., & Daniluk, J. (1997). Mothers and adolescent daughters: Relationship between self-esteem and gender role identity. Journal Of Youth & Adolescent, 26(1), 45.