Family relationship and parental practices perceived by adolescent girls with self-injurious behaviors

In this study, the perception of adolescents who maintained self-injurious behaviors about their family relationship and the educational practices used by their parents was investigated. A multiple case study was carried out, in which four self-injuring girls participated, who answered a Sociodemographic Data Sheet, a Semi-structured Interview and the Parenting Practices Scale. The content analysis revealed families with the presence of conflict, control, low cohesion and little interaction, as well as the absence of expressions of affection and protective attitudes. Regarding the parenting practices, parents were perceived as intrusive, showing less attitudes of encouragement, emotional support and promotion of autonomy than expected for their age. It was found that these characteristics, which configure a family relationship with levels of dysfunction and negative parenting practices, can be related to self-injurious behaviors that can accentuate family difficulties and feedback on family dynamics. Further studies are needed to elucidate such behaviors that challenge parents, educators and mental health professionals.