I think the first time was in fourth or fifth grade, only a handful of years ago. In our last year at elementary school our teacher gave us a compass-the kind you use to make perfect circles with-and they weren't the safety ones with plastic ends. The whole thing was metal and the end was sharp. I think I got a bad grade on something so my parents yelled at me and I got so upset I couldn't take it anymore. Even if I try my best if it's not an A or a B I'm screwed.

So that being said SI happened whenever I failed to meet a goal that was put forth by my parents. I scratched myself up pretty bad with that compass. I couldn't make them too deep though, I blamed them on my cats-even though my cats have never scratched me, EVER-and despite what I anxiously thought would happen I was safe in the knowledge that my simpleton parents wouldn't notice. I still don't like them that much because they never listen to me(oh wah)
Being in eighth grade now, so many kids are cutting, or depressed in some way. I haven't SI'd in a few months. It feels like five months is an eternity :-)