Cut-up Kids. The Epidemic of Self-harm 1996 (pkg 2008)
Distributed by Films Media Group, PO Box 2053, Princeton, New Jersey 08543-2053; 800-257-5126
Produced by BBC
Directed by n/a
DVD, color, 2 min. - 7 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Adolescence, Psychology, Health Sciences
Date Entered: 07/15/2009
Reviewed by Debra Ennen, Maple River Schools, Mapleton, MNThis video of seventeen segments ranging from 2:02 – 6:47 minutes depicts a period in the lives of two female and one male young adults with varying degrees of parental support who cut themselves to relieve stress and frustration felt from school pressures, bullying and underlying health issues. Beth, Tor and Gary are in Southampton, Wales and they explain their situations beginning with how and why they self-harm, other self-destructive behavior holding them from success, actions which have created legal problems and their paths as they are beginning to rise above their problems and create new lives for themselves.
The segments segue seamlessly from one to another with small glimpses of the city as transitions. While this creates smooth viewing, it inhibits easy navigation between segments which is often required in an educational setting. The young adults do use profanity and there is smoking, making it less appropriate for general high school audiences, though the progress the characters make would be helpful for those with the same difficulties. In addition, the support services in Wales appear to be different than those in the United States and Briticisms like the word “fag” as slang for “cigarette” may confuse some viewers. There is also brief reference to homosexuality explained as “batting for the other team” in regard to one of the female characters, all of which may be problematic in some settings.
The end of the film depicts a support group in a school which one of the teens joins. They created a packet for teachers to aid in assisting other students who may self-harm. This segment maintains the conversational tone of the film and since there is no authority figure such as a psychologist, any lessons learned must come from watching the growing success of the three and the viewer’s own ability to apply that to their own situations.
Picture quality is excellent except for some segments that one of the teens created themselves. At times it is difficult to hear what the characters are saying clearly due to the situations and the accent.