Yes it does make me angry people have no right to judge another person in that way, I have self harmed and it is not because I was looking for attention because I told no one and hid the scars very well from my parents, teachers etc and it was not because I am EMO or whatever they are called, it was because I was raped over and over as a child by a man not only who I trusted but who my parents also trusted he was the Catholic priest. I cut myself because I felt dirty and the flowing of the blood made me feel clean and the more I bled is the cleaner it made me feel, of course I needed help but I was a nine year old boy and I was too ashamed to tell my parents or anyone else what was hapening to me, so to all those people who are out there judging people like myself and others I would ask them to show some humility and empathy, we are not freaks or pathetic we are simply human beings.

Well.. if they can see them it means I'm not wearing underwear or I'm in just a thong.... and that hasn't really happened... if it did, I'm nt sure if I'd care.

if you didn't want people to stare - don't cut. it's obviously for attention in the first place so don't moan when you get it. this answer will probebly be downrated now - but you asked.

"Self harm scars" are self inflicted injuries if I understand you correctly. People that appear to stare at your scars are not really staring at the scars, they are more likely to concerned about a disturbed person that needs help.

Not necessarily. I, myself, have never inflicted harm on myself so this puts me in the wrong situation for telling other people what they should think. But if I saw one of my friends, or anybody I don't have anything against for that matter, with scars on their arms, I would be concerned for them. I wouldn't shun them in any way, but I would want to make sure that they will be safe. I know there are people out there who would think that "cutters" (please excuse me if that term is offensive.) are freaks. Those people are the ones who I think are freaks.

Well, let me preface my answer on this, first of all: I'm not one who has "self harmed" myself, so I cannot speak as to the motive on a first hand basis. So I will answer from the opposite perspective: that of an observer. There are essentially three kinds of people who do such: 1. Those for whom the scars are the result of self-inflicted injuries based upon psychological issues having to do with their own self-worth...possibly suicidal tendencies. 2. Those for whom the scars are the result of "body art" of one form or another. 3. Those for whom the scars are the result of a desire to "make a statement" about or against society, in an "in-your-face" kinda way. Visible scars, most ESPECIALLY those that are obviously self-inflicted, arouse the interest of others for a variety of reasons: morbid fascination, concern about the person's well being, disgust for someone who would deliberately harm themselves (usually reserved for those who fit numbers 2 & 3 above), perhaps even fear that a person who thinks so little of harming themselves that they might consider harming others. I'm sure there are other responses I've not covered as well. So, what is it about the staring that makes you angry, in your own honest opinion? Is it the fact that those people do not understand why you have such scars? In all honesty, can you really expect them to understand unless you explain it to them? Is it the simple fact that they are being rude by staring? People do look at the odd and out of the ordinary. Rude, yes, but not necessarily malicious. Is it the fact that you are really sensitive to the underlying causes which brought about the self harm in the first place? Is it because they treat you differently as well? People are, by nature (meaning it's a NATURAL tendency) wary of things that are different. In the natural realm, "different" can mean a variety of things. It may mean danger, may mean preditor or prey, may mean mate or not-mate...in fact, can be a LOT of different things. But most of all, 'different' means something that needs to be noticed. It's an animal thing. Granted, people are supposed to be able to overcome their animal instincts, but that doesn't mean they don'e exist. Unless you planning on doing something cosmetically with these scars, this is just one aspect of human nature that you are going to have to come to terms with. I, for one, hope that if the underlying causes of such scars was associated with issues of self worth that you are recovering, or have recovered, from those issues. No one deserves to feel that way about themselves.