Mutilation or maiming is an act of physical injury that degrades the appearance or function of any living body, sometimes causing death.
The traditional Chinese practices of língchí and foot binding are forms of mutilation that have captured the imagination of Westerners, as well as the now tourist centered "long-neck" people, a sub-group of the Karen known as the Padaung where women wear brass rings around their neck. The act of tattooing is also considered a form of self-mutilation according to some cultural traditions, such as within Christianity. A joint statement released by the United Nations and numerous other international bodies opposes female genital cutting (female circumcision) as a form of mutilation. Whether or not male circumcision amounts to mutilation is a subject of active academic debate.
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