Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Toad]

Girl's, NOT boys, seem to be making use of razors on their arms. Not sure why you would write a name on their. I guess they want to show love for the person they cut into thier forearm? At any rate, I stop it when I see it. Also, I tell K-teachers about it when I see old wounds. My usual response is to take them aside with the Kteacher and tell them they should not hurt themselves, that God loves them and does not want them to hurt themselves.
(of course this discourse would risk a boot from any USA public school for me- but A: I am not teaching in da US and B: I never had an English HS student in the USa who cut themself - drive drunk or on drugs and brag about it-yes- but never had a kid who was harming themselves via razor in class).

Anyhow, I do not want to turn this into a Koreans are suicide freaks... and we all know of the strange Western Emo self harm kids. However, I am worried these girls so in need of a pastor or doctor to speak with about some issues they have. I would hope the Korean teachers I direct them to, after I notice these wounds, will encourage them in some positive way or help with their negative feelings. Any lady here do that and turned out to be a fine Native English teacher in Korea?

[VanIslander]

it's their bodies, let them have their own kind of tattoos if they want

leave it to their parents to have an issue with it

stick to teaching English (tell the students what you think of them if you want, that much yeah)

[Goku]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=157861

[Zantetsuken]

Dammit...and I just got done carving up a nice piece in my right forearm that says " I *heart* The Great Toad."

[pentheus]

If thats true that the kids are carving names into their arms then its pretty scarry. Less of this, 'they need a pastor to talk too' and telling them, 'that God loves them and doesnt want them to do that' talk. Kids dont respond to that bull and it is neither appropriate nor helpful.

I think I'd probably freak if I saw a kid in my class cutting themselves. And ask them what the f**k they are doing.. Tell them to cop themselves on and if they want to be so stupid as to cut themselves then they can go home and talk to their parents about it. We might be unqualified (some of us) but we ain't health experts, counsellors, policemen or most importantly baby sitters, not to say that we don't have some 'obligations' that may fall under those categories.

[Zantetsuken]

Carving someone's name into your arm is pretty ghey...however carving something cool like a head with a bullet exiting out the side is pretty cool and I would endorse this course of action.

[Jane]

Some food for thought: Korea has a 24-hour tourism hotline but does not offer a similar service for suicide or self-mutilation (i.e., a help line). Despite Korea's lead among OECD countries for suicides, tourism help (for all those parents and friends of English teachers who come to Korea to visit as 'tourists') and building Korea's image are more of a priority.

Teachers may be the best resource for information and change that these kids have got.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

We had a huge problem with self-mutilation at my school a couple years ago. In the end the teachers at my middle school decided to do an arm and leg inspection and then hold a big punishment session for those who were doing it. It basically worked, but I was quite worried about how it might effect any who were doing it because of genuine psychological issues and not just to try to be cool.

[The Great Toad]

maybe there is a connection between these -I-win-I-slap-you-games they play and the razor skin names. I never much liked the bloody knuckles game my peers did in Jr High, but it was popular with the Metal head black leather jacket kids (I only listened to Korean drum music as a child).
Children need to know they are loved. Therefore, in a case like this I assume they feel they do not have value and perhaps no love. So, I do tell them God loves them and does not want them to hurt themselves- if I told them their parents love them, there is the off-chance they have no mom/dad or terrible parents. So, I go with the true safe platitude of a perfect Father God who loves them and values their health. It is a simple phrase that they can understand. If I tried to explain how all humans have value because of the nature of man.... they would get lost in the words.

[The Great Toad]

Youch! Pain in thee rear (hand) to cure the pains given in thee arm... Korean teachers are no joke. So, I assume it was the girls who were doing it at your school too?
(not sure why the last poll answer came out a --beep--- I did not write a swear there must be an auto-edit program.)

[Yu_Bum_suk]

[VanIslander]

[The Great Toad]

Well, I did not want to go off topic on the Nature of Life the Universe and everything . I see your point though maybe it is a way to be apart from the system and prove how special, brave, or self-controled they are. Anyhow regardless of your beliefs, I hope you are able to encourage the kids who did that or at least guide them to a proper hippe with pins and skin ink.

[Jane]

[Yu_Bum_suk]