The Gothic movement gained notoriety when the Collier County Sheriff's Office began its investigation into six Lely High School students for plotting violence at the school. So far, three students have been arrested while the others remain at home as the investigation continues. The Lely students were reported to have dressed in a black clothing style that's drawn media attention to the Gothic movement, a subculture characterized by a macabre fascination with all things dark and dramatic.

School Violence is very real. The current school year, 03-04, has been more deadly than the year of the Columbine massacre. This has local, state and national agencies looking for answers. The danger from such a search is that an urgency to find solutions often causes hasty generalizations. Black trench coats and Gothic dress are being pointed out by some around the country as a common trait of those who plot or commit school violence. This raises the question, "Are those who follow the Goth or Gothic life style prone to violence?" However, trying to analyze the fundamentals of modern Goths proves to be a daunting task. The single most common characteristic of Goths is individuality. This article will attempt to identify some the basics of Goths for non-Goths who have a need to understand what affects and motivates young people. 

"I can count 153 different types of Goths because I know 153 Goths." This statement is from a letter to the editor of an on-line news page that attempted to identify three different groups of the Goth subculture. In a personal interview, another professing Goth stated that if there were three Goths in a room there would be three totally separate individuals who hold totally different ideas about music, dress and life. He went on to say that they might not even speak to each other but if someone were to make a derogatory remark about anyone of them or about Gothic, they would unite and defend each other and the culture. A common trait among Goths is their rejection of others who the "world" sees as Goths. The music artist Marilyn Manson is perhaps the most high profile person whom the media has labeled as Gothic that Goths uniformly reject. Those who do accept him place him in a separate group they refer to as "Neo-goth" or "Shock-goth." This same rejection or compartmenting is evident on numerous Goth web sites and in personal discussions with profession Goths when talking about other from the famous to fellow students and co-workers. From their historical beginning, Goths were called "barbarians." This is a term devised by the Romans to describe all races who did not speak Greek. Similarly, the main-stream world tends to put all who wear black into a single group called Goth. The original Goths were not Huns nor Gauls and they had many divisions within own race, but the established Roman order lumped them all into "barbarians."  Learn more

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1. Black Nail Polish - whether you're a boy or a girl a good bottle of black nail polish is a must-have for the aspiring goth.
2. Black Boots - search out a pair of boots that you know you'll wear a lot. If you're a girl, make sure they look good with skirts and pants. Versatility is key.
3. Hair Dye - this can either be black hair dye or some exotic, bright color used to highlight your dark hair. Try something like Manic Panic.
4. Studs and/or Zippers - if you don't have anything with studs or zippers, add some onto an old bag or grab a cool, old leather jacket from a thrift store that you can alter.
5. Black Eyeliner - Again, it doesn't matter if you're a guy or a girl, you gotta have the black eyeliner. Great for lining lips, eyes or drawing stuff on your face.

This is how most of those outside the movement will recognize those who are Goths. Unfortunately, not everyone who wears black is Goth and not every Goth wears black. There are Goths who prefer to wear white and some who wear bold colors such as vibrant greens or blues. Very few will be seen in pastels as they tend to make bold statements and dislike soft ones. 

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As with other aspects of Goth, the music is difficult to categorize with a single explanation. Here is what some have said in a survey about Goth music-> click here. Groups tend to make bold statements with dress and lyrics. Some of the more commonly heard names among the Goth groups include Rob Zombie, Switchblade Symphony, Rasputina, Sisters of Mercy, and Cradle of Filth. Most of these have web sites and are happy to share their lyrics and ideas with the public.

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