It's sort of like swearing. When a parent freaks out, it's fulfilling its purpose. Teens are showing that they have total control over their bodies. That's part of growing up and becoming one's own person. Eric Silverman, an anthropology professor at Depauw University in Greencastle, Ind., agrees that body piercing is a way of showing disillusionment with society today.
Some parents worry about a correlation between bad grades and body art.
The biggest problem, Armstrong says, is that society labels teens with many visible pierces and tattoos as low achievers, so teens have to work extra hard at maintaining a good image and good grades. So I smile and people still stare. I'm proud of the way I look. Although only about 10 percent of adolescents are thought to have multiple pierces and tattoos, body art has mainstreamed into most high schools. Other common tattoos are red roses on the small of the back or a snake twisting around the calf.