This study intends to analyse possible influence factors on self-harm among incarcerated Brazilian women from the feminine criminal colony of Recife. Its specific objectives include formulating intervention strategies to reduce the incidence of those behaviors. Two questionnaires were elaborated: the first one to carry through a census with all prisoners and select the sample, determining the extension of self-harm; the second one is for specific application with selected prisoners, to go deeper in self-harm study. Qualitative data were collected through observation notes and half-directed interviews in groups. Data analysis included quantitative method of descriptive statistics analysis and qualitative method of thematic analysis. Several factors correlated to self-harm were found: relief of psychological suffering as a result from the incarceration environment; self-anger or anger of others; drug use; manipulative attempts to get advantages in the prison and attempts to communicate and affirmation of individuality in a collective environment.
Self-harm; prison; behavior
