I used to be a child advocate for an abused child. She was 13 at the time and cut herself on her arms, legs and abdoman when she was going through a traumatic time.

She actually showed me her arms the first time she did it. She used a broken CD.

She explained to me that cutting/hurting herself physically was a way to try and tranfer emotional pain into something she could handle (and was used to), physical pain.

Its truly a horrible place to be in.