Click here or pick up the September issue of Baton Rouge Parents Magazine to read my article on the growing epidemic of “cutting” (self-injury).  For the record, the magazine took some editorial liberty with my article – most notably changing most of the pronouns to “she” and “her.”  I assume they did so because of the common misperception that self-injury is primarily a female problem.  While there does seem to be a higher percentage of females with this problem, the percentage appears higher due to the much higher rate of females seeking professional treatment.  Unfortunately, we males continue to be socialized with the idea that we aren’t allowed to have problems beyond our control – that this is a sign of weakness, the ultimate shame for a male.  (For more on this topic, read “Wild at Heart” by John Eldredge.)