by Nancy Horton

Created on: February 12, 2009   Last Updated: August 17, 2009

Self-injury has been around for years; and yes, it is an uncomfortable reality specifically with our teens today. Recently there is a new trend among teens today; something which teens refer to when referencing self-injury. It is called "Emo". Emo stands for "emotional", and it is a cartoon character with illustrations of self-injury, depression, low self-esteem, loneliness, sadness, etc. Emo is a cry for help. And it is just the surface of what problems really lie on this child's heart. In other words it may be a child who has been living in an abusive family environment all of his or her life. And they have finally come to a point of desperation, and found a way to express themselves without having to "talk about it" which can be difficult for a teen to do.

Many of our children who are struggling with real-life issues such as depression, for example, will begin to call themselves "Emo". Many of them will do the things Emo has done, such as cutting the wrist for example. Some may act as Emo, yet deny that they are Emo while other children may reference them as such. However there are some teens who do claim themselves to be Emo, and will go to the extreme and dress like him, do their hair like him, and so on. In other words they try to assume Emo's identity in every way, shape, or form as they become obsessed over it. And even though it is a negative thing over all, it gives them a sense of belonging in the world when they didn't feel comfortable in their own skin prior to Emo.

Emo (even though it is illustrated as a male) has influenced girls as equally as boys, gender does not matter. And rather or not a teen is doing any kind of drugs or alcohol, does not matter. Some parent may research "Emo" on the Internet and other resources and think that it is a gender issue, or a drug issue, etc. Please do not get confused, again, Emo stands for "emotional". And if your child displays any kind of liking toward Emo, talks about Emo with friends, or displays personal interest in Emo such as hair style, etc. you may want to find out more about your child, and their personal thoughts on Emo. It should not be taken lightly, it is serious; your child's life, and well-being may be a stake here. Again, it is a cry for help.

For those who have found that they are in fact dealing with a child who has assumed the identity of Emo, and especially if they are causing self-injury; you must act quickly. Now is the time to address it, in other words there is no "good time" to

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