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Old 08-10-2006, 07:15 AM   #1
Shi'ark
 
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Goth subculture may protect vulnerable children

I’t my first thread in a while so I make it a good one you can find this at NewScientist.com news service Goth subculture may protect vulnerable children

Goth subculture may protect vulnerable children
00:01 14 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Gaia Vince

About half of teenage goths have deliberately harmed themselves or attempted suicide, a new study suggests. But joining the modern subculture – which grew out of the 1980s gothic rock scene – may actually protect vulnerable children, researchers say.

The study followed 1258 young people who were interviewed at ages 11, 13, 15 and 19. It found that of those who considered themselves goths, 53% had self-harmed and 47% had tried to commit suicide. The average prevalence of self-harm among young people in the UK is 7% to 14%. Self-harm includes behaviours such as cutting or burning oneself. And about 6% of young people admit suicide attempts. Some studies suggest the incidence is rising in society.

Researchers at University of Glasgow found that while most self-harmers started the practice at age 12 to 13, they did not become goths until they were a couple of years older, on average.

“One common suggestion is they may be copying subcultural icons or peers [when they self-harm], but our study found that more young people reported self-harm before, rather than after, becoming a goth. This suggests that young people with a tendency to self-harm are attracted to the goth subculture,” says Robert Young, who led the study.

Quick fix
“Rather than posing a risk, it's also possible that by belonging to the goth subculture, young people are gaining valuable social and emotional support from their peers.” But he cautions: “However, the study was based on small numbers and replication is needed to confirm our results.” Only 25 participants felt strongly associated with goth culture.

Self-harming, Young says, is a behaviour that people often employ as a mechanism to deal with negative emotions. “It may be used as a quick-fix. "Some physiological studies suggest, or are compatible with the theory that endorphins [brain chemicals that produce a feeling of well-being] are released after episodes of self-harm," he told New Scientist.

Just 2% of the adolescents in the study identified with goth culture, although 8% said they had identified with it at some point in their lives. But it is a strongly non-violent and accepting subculture, which teens may find offers a supportive environment.

Michael van Beinum, a psychiatrist for children and adolescents, who advised on the study, agrees: “For some young people with mental health problems, a goth subculture may be attractive as it may allow them to find a community within which it may be easier for their distress to be understood.”

The 1980s goth culture grew out of the post-Punk movement and underwent a revival in the mid-1990s. Central to goth belief is the black aesthetic – taking icons that society regards as evil, such as skull imagery, and making them beautiful.

Journal reference: British Medical Journal (vol 332, p 909)
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Old 08-10-2006, 10:36 AM   #2
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Wow, actually a positive review of the gothic culture. Now that doesn't come forth very often.
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Old 08-10-2006, 10:54 AM   #3
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You know, Sternn had already created this thread before. (one of the ones I throughly enjoyed.)
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Old 08-10-2006, 10:58 AM   #4
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ehhhhh....having the name Sternn surface in a non-political thread is unexpected. Like having a big green monster spring out of your closet. Please wait while I come in terms with my confusion.
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Old 08-10-2006, 11:01 AM   #5
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Though it's nice to see this news back again at the top of the section.
I've always been interested on the new guys' saying in old discussions and oppinions.
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Quote:
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Old 08-10-2006, 12:18 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Godslayer Jillian
the new guys
Hahahaha sorry I love you Jillian but you're one of the "new guys" too, so is anyone else that joined after Darren left *sigh* thoses were the good old days...oh well these are the good new days (I hope)
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Old 08-10-2006, 12:25 PM   #7
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Ah, touché, my friend. Though I meant specifically to this thread, the new guys being the ones that haven't been able to read it because the other one is forgotten enough to not be on the first page of the spooky news.
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People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.
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Old 08-10-2006, 12:28 PM   #8
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Im just curious, and I may be asking too much, alert me if I am, how many of you have self-harmed yourself?

I sure have..
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Old 08-10-2006, 01:01 PM   #9
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There was a thread about self-harm in the Whining Thread. Some people did self-harm, some still do.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by George Carlin
People who say they don’t care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don’t care what people think.
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Old 08-10-2006, 01:39 PM   #10
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Oh, sorry than.
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Old 08-10-2006, 01:53 PM   #11
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no worries
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Old 08-19-2006, 03:48 AM   #12
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Interesting, and surprising that a magazine like new scientist are producing a positive image of the subculture. Great read thanks for posting =)
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Old 08-20-2006, 12:10 PM   #13
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Wow, that is interesting... something that deviates from the usual,

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Old 09-22-2006, 11:01 PM   #14
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It is really nice to see someone wrote an article that says what we already know but most people wouldn't conceive.
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Old 10-25-2006, 06:45 PM   #15
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I honestly think this article is true because it reminds me of when I was younger. I hated self-harm because I heard about all these kids doing it because they said it "Relieved the pain" or because "Life was too painful", but honestly I couldn't make heads or tails of that idea so I never tried it and never have, plus it just seems to scream "I want attention" to me. And the "Quick fix" comment is something I've been saying for years.

But agreed, this is one of the few things I've read that's shown the culture in a 'brighter' light rather than the whole "OMG!! Being Goth will make you kill/hurt yourself or others!!" crap I've heard before.
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Old 10-26-2006, 12:46 PM   #16
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Often it's not about the facts but about style. If the syle isn't appreciated (or understood) then the bare facts won't matter to the masses. I feel I sit between the masses and other styles. That means I choose my own way and go for "casual". But when I see a different "style" I'm willing to listen and look, even if I don't feel comfortable (like with Goths).

I feel that's rare.

That positive mini-research won't have the slightest impact on society, only to the few who care. But then again, those few knew already.
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Old 11-24-2006, 08:10 PM   #17
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While I never inflicted self-harm on myself, I was extremely depressed 24/7 before I discovered the Goth Subculture. I didn't belong anywhere and had no friends at all. Goth changed my life for the better, I don't know where I would be right now if it didn't exist.
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Old 11-24-2006, 08:30 PM   #18
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I was on the "self harm" bandwagon.... Good grief thats worse than anything. At least I didnt kill myself, thats all I've got to say Again, I'm just now at 23 starting to actually express myself and its pretty amazing how much better I feel already. Self acceptance is the first step to curing yourself, and its darn hard to accept yourself when you view yourself as society's sewer serpent. Thats why I just said screw society I'm going to find myself. (Though I just became immersed in the goth culture recently, I have been studying religions, and subcultures for the better part of my life. I think thats part of the reason we're more accepting in general... we've been through more crap from others, and probably more crap than anything from ourselves.... so we know how to deal with all types of rejection/fear.
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Old 11-26-2006, 11:25 AM   #19
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Really interesting. I have never practiced self-harm and I never plan to, because in all my experiences of depression, I've never really had the urge to do so. For me, it would probably just be inflicting even more pain upon myself, and I know it wouldn't really help me.

Anyway, I think this kind of thing is good....kindof shows that there's nothing really wrong with identifying with the goth subculture.
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Old 11-26-2006, 01:09 PM   #20
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Interesting. Postive views are indeed rare, but not unheard of. I can imagine how talking with others with the same problems can help, and it did, for me. It's like theraphy. But with that came the problem of harming myself just to fit in, which is just stupid.

It doesnt surprise me at all though, that more goths admit practicing it. Alot of things are far less taboo, or not at all, that in the "mainstream" world such as homosexuality, prejudice over appearances (at least where other goths are concerned). Identification can surely have positive effects.

Depression, craziness, I did harm myself quite alot a few years ago. Part for attention, part because it's like a drug and serves as physical escapism, in a way.
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Old 11-26-2006, 03:29 PM   #21
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I think it's nice to see an article that says nice things about the Goth subculture. Although, like Jillian said, I have seen an article such as this as well already. But it doesn't matter, it's still nice to read it. Reminds that there are some in the world who do know that we're not violent, evil, blood-sucking maniacs who produce vile, nasty, homicidal mass killers.
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Old 11-27-2006, 05:44 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mick Ignis
\I was extremely depressed 24/7 before I discovered the Goth Subculture. I didn't belong anywhere and had no friends at all. Goth changed my life for the better, I don't know where I would be right now if it didn't exist.

i completely agree, the subculture really kept me from making the leap from taking meds to taking them all at once... :/
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Old 12-09-2006, 07:14 PM   #23
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To answer your question bromley, I never have.
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Old 12-21-2006, 12:51 PM   #24
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it's about time someone wrote an article like this
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Old 12-26-2006, 01:23 AM   #25
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This article followed a previous entry in the BMJ that pissed me off in the past...Surprising to see something positive after these, though there has been some controversy in BMJ over the authenticity of the cited studies mentioned in the article.

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstr...544.7Cv1?rss=1

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/332/7549/0-d

The interesting thing about this is that the article was BBC News (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4905898.stm). Funnily enough, the controversy and letters back and forth between author, disagreeing authors, the BMJ's response to it, etc, were not, and neither are they public (a membership of the BMJ website or a subscribing membership is required to view the full articles; otherwise all we get are small extracts).
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