Self-inflicted wound

A self-inflicted wound (SIW), is the act of harming oneself where there are no underlying psychological problems related to the self-injury, but where the injurer wanted to take advantage of being injured.

Reasons to self-wound

Most self-inflicted wounds occur during wartime, for various possible reasons.

Potential draftees may self-injure in order to avoid being drafted for health reasons.

The most common reason enlisted soldiers self-wound is to render themselves unable to continue serving in combat, thus resulting in their removal from the combat line to the hospice. Thus, self-injury can be used to avoid a more serious combat injury or a combat death.

In prison camps, such as gulags and concentration camps, people sometimes self-injure so that they will not be forced to work and could spend some time in the more comfortable conditions of the infirmary barracks.

Types of wounds

Among the most common type of wounds are a rifle shot to the hand, arm, leg, or foot.

Punishments

In most militaries, deliberately self-inflicted wounds are considered to be a serious military offense. Most self-inflicted wounds go unnoticed, though consequences are often severe if caught.

In the British army during World War I, the penalty for self-inflicted wound was capital punishment, which at that time was death by firing squad. In the British Army, some 3,894 men were found guilty, though none were executed but instead were sent to prison for lengthy periods. [ [http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/siw.htm First World War.com - Encyclopedia - Self-inflicted Wounds (SIW) ] ] [http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWblighty.htm Blighty Wounds ] ]

In Nazi concentration camps, self-injury was dangerous as the incapacitated were often just executed, but in some lower-stringency camps it has indeed been documented.

History

There have been many reports of SIW during World War I, placing certain soldiers under suspicion for some injuries which could have been genuine accidents.

During World War II, almost all armies (most often mentioned are the Soviet Army and the Wehrmacht) had cases of self-inflicted injury.

References