Originally Posted by Matt106

Pamela, I'm not at all offended! I can never know what it is like to be "emo." Likely, you can't understand what it's like to be an almost 40 year old therapist! Not that you would-lol! I know many emo kids, there have been quite a few in my program in the last few years. i have had sessions with them. I have listened to them, read their journals and poetry (with their consent). I've spoke to their families, taken extensive histories of them. I come to know them quite well. I guess that's the best I can do. I tend to be positive in the respect that I believe that people can change their thinking and realize their God given potential. That sometimes annoys some of the kids because they tend to cling to irrational and overly negative thinking. Unfortunately, the Lord is a far better therapist than I, and I cannot share that at my work due to government regulation. In any examination of human behavior, we look at trends; what a large percentage of people in a certain group or situation do. It is impossible to predict what any single human will do in any situation. My entire premise is that since the advent of "emo," (I really hate that term, by the way.) there has been a sharp increase in self injurious behavior. The CDC has noted that there has been an increase in the suicide rate, when it had been dropping for nearly 20 years. The only big difference in teen culture right now is "emo." I was where you were about 20 years ago. People were blaming metal for suicide, drug use, and all of the other social ills of the time. Lawsuits were even filed. I was very adamant the entire time that there was no connection. My arguments at that time would have been identical to yours. I don't know if this clarifies things at all. I might have made them worse. I can only speak of what myself and my colleagues see. We're not trying to be judgmental, we're just going where the evidence leads. This does not have anything to do with the condition of anyone's soul. Only the Lord knows this. I can only observe and comment on behaviors and their possible causes. I used My Chemical Romance because they seem to be portrayed as the "stereotypical" emo band. I really know little of the music other than the lyrics. I can't stand to listen to it. It brings me down, and I watch what I put into my head.