Self-injury in Young Adult Literature: An Analysis of Realism

Prompted by a recent claim that "darkness" was taking over the entire spectrum of young adult literature, this study examines the level of realism in the representation of self-injury - one of the so-called "dark" themes and known more commonly as cutting - in young adult literature. Using a background of psychology literature, each title was analyzed using content analysis and deemed to be realistic or unrealistic, and then measured on an original and included rubric determining its ability to provide a positive path for real teenage self-injurers who may choose to read it. Upon finding that all eight of the novels were realistic but only half of them provided supportive depictions of the healing process, implications for library practices are discussed, and an argument is made for keeping these books on the shelves for those who want to incorporate them into their road to recovery