The DOI matches its Crossref record; 150 of the 150 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Non-Suicidal Self-Injury Within Offender Populations: A Systematic Review
Abstract
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), defined as deliberate self-directed tissue damage, presents a serious health concern for offender populations. Approximately one-third of offenders report a history of NSSI, and it is the most common reason for mental health treatment within correctional settings. To date, no review exists with a specific focus on NSSI in criminal justice contexts. Therefore, the primary aim of this article is to review research on NSSI within correctional settings. Specifically, we explore the role of risk factors for NSSI. We also examine the functions of NSSI within correctional contexts. In addition, we evaluate the evidence for potential assessment tools and treatments for NSSI. Taken together, our review suggests that risk factors for NSSI must be considered differently in correctional settings, due to the high base rates of these vulnerabilities. Further, although environmental control is a more salient function of NSSI within correctional settings, the primary motive for engaging in this behavior remains emotion regulation. Finally, despite the emergence of several promising treatments for NSSI within correctional settings, larger scale studies are necessary to determine the efficacy of these interventions.
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“Reviews16, 17, 18 have been limited by being narrative syntheses of the literature that do not use quantitative methods to evaluate the strength, quality, and consistency of the available evidence.”
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“This rate far exceeds that of the general population, in which 4% of adults (Briere & Gil, 1998; Klonsky, Oltmanns, & Turkheimer, 2003) and 13 to 15% of adolescents (Ross & Heath, 2002) report a history of NSSI, and instead is more comparable to the high rates found among young adult undergraduate students (e.g., 35%;…”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Dixon-Gordon, K., Harrison, N., & Roesch, R.
- Affiliations
- Simon Fraser University
- Simon Fraser University (CA)
- Venue
- International Journal of Forensic Mental Health
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2012-01
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 33-50
- ISSN
- 1499-9013 (ISSN-L)
- 1932-9903
- OpenAlex
- W1999330676
- Cited by
- 133
- References
- 147
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 5
- FWCI
- 0.84
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Forensic Mental Health (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
- Keywords
- non-suicidal self-injury, offender populations, prison environment, risk factors, functions of self-injury, emotion regulation, environmental control, assessment instruments, therapeutic interventions, criminal justice
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