Should self-harm be allowed? A case against the prevention of self-injurious behaviour (original) (raw)

Should self-harm be allowed? A case against the prevention of self-injurious behaviour

It is often agreed amongst medical professionals and philosophers that self-injurious behaviour (otherwise termed NSSI, short for nonsuicidal self-injury) should be prevented, even if this involves coercing the individual engaging in such behaviour. This dissertation aims to prove that there are no firm ethical grounds on which to base justifications for the systematic prevention of self-injury, and does so by examining whether individuals who self-injure are autonomous, what ethical problems are posed by letting them self-injure without taking any coercive measures, what can be gained from letting them engage in such behaviour, and ultimately concludes that in the majority of cases, in order to respect the individual’s autonomy and welfare, self-injurious behaviour should be allowed to continue (with supervision when appropriate).