self inflicted pain in a child

my niece who just turned three was pulling her hair out when she became angered by something.  when i mentioned the incident to the p[arent she said she does that all the time.  i explained that this is not normal behavior. could you please advise me of how to approach this matter or give me the advise tha i can give to her mother.  thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Children this age often struggle with the flood of anger they experience when they are frustrated. That is why you see so many tantrums in young children. But they eventually learn to cope with frustration in better ways, and it is likely that this little girl will as well. If she is otherwise developing in a normal fashion thre needn't be any specialized intervention. If the behavior is resulting in bald patches, cutting her hair short will impede the pulling.