How to Know if Your Daughter Is Emo?

The term "Emo" is the shortened version of "emotional." It's takes the "goth" scene a step further, beyond dark clothing, morbid poetry and self-loathing. The Emo scene is a counterculture, which some even consider a cult, and it often drives young people to take drastic measures to express their displeasure with life, which can lead to permanent visible scars and, in extreme cases, a young life cut short. Fortunately, the Emo crowd isn't hard to spot, if you know what you're looking for.

Things You'll Need

  • Computer
  • CD or MP3 player

Instructions

    • 1

      One of the most dangerous aspects of the Emo counterculture is the practice of cutting and self-abuse, including cigarette burns. If your daughter is wearing long sleeves in hot weather, it may be a warning sign. Ask your daughter why she is dressing so warmly and ask to see her wrists and arms. Check for scars, fresh cuts or burns. It is also a good idea to check her legs, as many teenagers attempt to hide their activities from their parents.

    • 2

      If you suspect your daughter is Emo, be on the lookout for drastic changes in her appearance, and check what kinds of clothes she is buying and hanging in her closet. According to a May 2006 article in the "Chicago Tribune," Emo teenagers alter their appearance to look dark and despairing. Skin-tight pants, black zip-up hooded sweatshirts -- aka, "hoodies" -- bangs that are sometimes longer than the rest of the hair, black-rimmed glasses and pictures and messages of despair written on their clothes and on their arms and legs are all preferred Emo fashion.

    • 3

      Familiarize yourself with the type of music your daughter listens to. Emo teens listen to music that often glamorizes self-abuse, depression and even suicide. In 2008, a group of parents formed Parents Against Emo in the wake of the suicide of 13-year-old Hannah Bond in the U.K. Bond's parents claimed she was a happy girl until she became Emo and started cutting. If your daughter listens to music you deem disturbing, ask her what draws her to such dreary lyrics.

    • 4

      Ask your daughter for all of her email addresses, passwords and logins for social networking websites. Many websites on the Internet are devoted to the Emo lifestyle, and give specific instructions on how to "be more Emo." Similar discussion groups exist on websites like Facebook, and there is an enormous Emo and self-harm presence on Tumblr, which has become more popular than Facebook for teenagers, according to a January 2013 article in the "Los Angeles Times." Your daughter might still be able to hide some of her activities, but you will be much more familiar with how these sites work.

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