It's no secret that, for years, the pressures in a young person's life — academic responsibility, parental stress, social anxieties — have led many to injure themselves. What's disconcerting is that self-abuse is on the rise.

For many kids who cut themselves, the act serves as a form of control. In the midst of what feels like chaos, cutting allows some people to exercise power over one aspect of their lives, according to Luanne Southern, NMHA senior director of prevention and children's mental health services.

"I think that more kids are doing it, and we're recognizing it more than perhaps we did in the past," Southern said. "But I also think that there are some exacerbating factors. We all lead very busy lives. Parents are working; we have a lot on our plates. I think that we put a lot of stress and undue pressure on our young people."

This sentiment is echoed in the countless message boards dedicated to self-abuse. "I usually find myself doing it because I want all the thoughts in my head to stop," posted one member of a MySpace group for cutters. "They always put me down and made me upset, but during and after I cut, they all stop and go away and I can just relax for a bit."

Increased awareness is key. But finding a community that can comfort, inform and transform abusers is another matter. Many young people report feeling like they are burdening parents by talking about their problems when their folks are constantly busy with work and other stresses. Southern suggests that the perception that some teens have no support system may even contribute to the self-abuse cycle.