The topic of self-injury traditionally has been a sensitive subject for most. Until recently, much of the information published on this phenomenon lacked empirical rigor. That has now changed dramatically (see Levesque
2010). Patricia A. and Peter Adler, considered pioneers in the research field of this subject, have now added considerably to this area of research, as they have drawn from nearly 10 years of their own studies to write
The Tender Cut: Inside the Hidden World of Self-
Injury. This review discusses the main points of their text and offers a brief overview of the methods, findings, and implications of the study. As with the book, the review focuses on how self-injury can be thought of as an act of expression and group connection within many subcultures, an approach that is key to understanding why some turn to self-injury. …
