by Nancy Horton

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

There is a new trend among teens today. Many of our children who are struggling with real-life issues such as depression, for example, will begin to call themselves "Emo". Emo (which stands for emotional) 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 them will do the things Emo represents, 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. Or some may simply claim that it is a "fad" that they are going through, or fashion, etc. 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.

If you have a child who causes self-injury, you may want to research emo for a better understanding of it, and to educate yourself. A place on the Internet called Perenting Teens is a good place (message board) to communicate with other parents who are having the same or similar experiences. Parenting Teens is just one resource, there are many you may find in a search through the Internet that may help guide you through this journey. Another good source for additional message boards to discuss different issues such as this as well as good advice is Dr. Phil.com. How ever you choose to deal with this situation, please keep in mind that it is serious, and requires immediate action, as well as compassion for your child.

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