Self-injurious behaviour (SIB)--from definition to human rights.

This article is part of a special section on 'self-injurious behaviour and autism' and is mainly based on a book edited by Luiselli, Matson and Singh (1992) addressing empirical data on self-injurious behaviour and mental retardation from a behavioural perspective. Within the overview of the book some information on autism is also presented and critically discussed. Self-injurious behaviour is a poorly understood phenomenon and problematic in many ways; its definition is not easy; little is known about the causes and neuroscientific models. Demographic data are scarce and functional analysis and interventions (behavioural techniques, medication, education) need to be further developed, under the protection of human rights committees.