ENGLISH SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

Main Topic: Trends in the 21st Century are allowing Teenagers

in America to Create Their Own Identity
Sub Topic: Why are Piercings a Trend for Youths in the 21st
Century?

NAME OF CANDIDATE: RANDY KHEDOO

CANDIDATE NUMBER:
SCHOOL: THE BISHOPS’ HIGH SCHOOL
CENTRE NUMBER: 090007
TEACHER: MS. SHANEE ADAMS

1
 Table of Contents
Content Page
Acknowledgement……………………………………..3
Plan of Investigation…………………………………..4
Participation Measure………………………………...5
Artifacts:……………………………………………….6
Artifact 1…………………………….….................6
Artifact 2……………………………...……..…….8
Artifact 3……………………………………....…10
Reflection:……………………………….…………….12
Reflection 1…………………………….…...……12
Reflection 2………………………………………13
Reflection 3………………………………………14
Group Written Report………………...…………..…..15
Artifacts Used in Report………………………..……..17
Artifact 1…………………....……………..............17
Artifact 2………………………………….…...….18
Artifact 3…………………………………….…....20
Plan of Oral Presentation........………........…......….....21
Oral Presentation……………...………………...……..22
Table of Citation……………………………...…...…....24

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 Acknowledgement
The researcher takes this opportunity to express his gratitude and deep
regards to his teacher for her guidance and constant encouragement
throughout this SBA. The researcher would also like to thank his parents
for their all-round support without which this SBA would not be
possible.
Lastly, the researcher thanks the Almighty, for the strength and divine
guidance needed.

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 Plan of Investigation
The sub topic of why during the 21st century body piercings is so
trendy is a topic that attracts the attention of the researcher. This rising
trend of body piercings is something that is of interest because it is
intriguing to find out what is the ideology these adolescents possess for
getting body piercings. Often someone with piercing and tattoos are
assumed to be bad persons that engage in illegal activities yet it can be
noticed in society that a lot of the youths are still getting numerous body
piercings regardless of health risks and human perception. This is the
very phenomenon that intrigues the researcher.
As a student of English, the researcher expects to not only improve
his reading and writing skills but also his comprehensive and analytical
abilities. All of this can be accomplished through the completion of this
School Based Assessment. The way the researcher intends to collect the
required information is by reading through some recent online articles,
researching related literary pieces and finally by acknowledging popular
sites and medias relating to the topic. The information acquired will be
used to write the reflections and written report.

4
 Participation Measure
Rating criteria Preliminary Student’s record of Final rating
rating 1- teacher’s 1-agree
agree comment/suggestion 0-uncertain
0-uncertain s -1-disagree
-1-disagree
I know what I’m 1 The teacher spared 1
supposed to do, no expense to
and I work well motivate and
as a group. encourage the
students to complete
the many tasks.
It is easy to 1 1
focus on what is
taking place in
my group
In the group I 0 0
feel self-
confident, self-
esteem and
efficiency
I know how to 1 The teacher avoided 1
control my behavioral problems
behavior in the in the group by
group advising the
members to respect
each others opinions.
I finish my tasks 0 The teacher 0
and do so in a constantly checked
timely manner. the researcher’s work
and set out a few
deadlines to be met
the next time.
Total 3/5 3/5

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 Artifacts
Artifact 1: Jotted Lines
Body piercing, alongside tattooing, has become more common over the
last few decades, especially made popular by the hippy culture of 1970s
America. Psychologists and cultural commentators, on the other hand,
tend to view body art as an expression of deeper emotional disturbance
with respect to the person’s self-esteem and self-identity. 
Body piercing involves the injection of a needle into the body surface so
as to make an opening in which jewelry made of various metal alloys
may be worn. Apart from the earlobe, common piercing areas include
“eyebrows, tongue, nose, tragus, nipple, navel, and the genitalia”.
Adolescence is a phase in which the individual at times struggles for
identity and control over her developing body. During this period, it is
particularly appealing for the adolescent mind to pierce their bodies. In
the United States of America, it is estimated that one in five adolescents
either pierces her body or gets a tattoo. The phenomenon of body
piercing is more prevalent among adolescent girls when compared to
adolescent boys. Scholars are of the view that the value derived from a
piercing is carries symbolic associations.
People from other walks of life see the trend in a different perspective.
Experts have forwarded alternative explanations for this practice among
young people. Some suggest that for young people, body art represent a
mechanism of control and ownership over their own physiques. In the
neo-liberal globe of the early 21st century, with its attendant consumerist
culture and individual alienation, resorting to such drastic measures of
expressing individual identity has become inevitable. In other words,
beyond the obvious external appearances, such behavior might indicate a
deeper emotional imbalance that can lead to more serious behaviors such
as self-mutilation (Carroll and Anderson, 2002, p.629).

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In summary, people generally undergo body piercing in order to improve
their external appearance and as a way of marking their individual
identity. Experts in the field of psychology and medicine express their
own concerns with respect to this phenomenon among young people.
Statistics pertaining to body piercing also reveals a disparity across
gender and racial lines although its broader significance is yet to be
learnt.

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 Artifact 2: The Journal of Family Practice
Body piercing among young people has been linked with risk behaviors
such as the abuse of legal and illegal substances, Perspicacity, profiling,
and prejudice.
Body art and, more specifically, piercing is becoming normative among
adolescents, ("Perspicacity, profiling, and prejudice,”) Body art is more
than just an indicator of deviancy. In other words, as all adolescents
should be screened for risky behaviors, this specific population offers
the advantage of piercing as a starting point for a discussion.
From the studied carried out a number of observations were made.
Among females in our sample, more than 1 piercing is associated with
having multiple sex partners and marijuana use. For males in our study,
the only association with multiple piercings was an increase in suicide
attempts.
From our results, it could be hypothesized that more than 1 piercing is a
cumulative marker for some risk behaviors, mainly among females.
Though associations for males were similar to those for females, the
differences between pierced and unpierced groups did not reach
statistical significance. However, the relatively small sample of pierced
males discourages definitive conclusions.
Pierced adolescents were less satisfied with their bodies than their
unpierced counterparts, though the difference is significant only for
females.

Young people indicate that the main reasons they obtain a piercing are a
sense of uniqueness or self-expression, with only one fifth indicating
that they obtain it for aesthetics only. As we did not assess the reasons to
obtain a body piercing in this study, it could be that they had it done to
increase their body satisfaction, that their body satisfaction was lower

8
after having it done, or simply that they do not get pierced to increase
their satisfaction with their body.

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 Artifact 3: Psychology Today
Contemporary adolescent and young adult culture has embraced
tattooing and body piercing, ostensibly as a form of self-expression. It
seems that if not tattooed themselves, there are very few degrees of
separation between any adolescent and someone in their life who bears a
tattoo or is pierced somewhere on their body.  Sports stars, rock stars
and movie and television icons are covered in images and piercings.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry released
a statement in 1999 had released an article stating body piercing have
been associated with dangerous and sometimes lethal risk-
taking behavior, eating disorders, self-loathing, substance
abuse, depression and social alienation.
Are these all instances of self-mutilation, especially in the case of
multiple or full-body art and piercings of everything from nostrils,
tongues, belly-buttons, earlobes and eyelids (favorites among teen girls)
to nipples, genitals and everything between?  All of these hurt, to a
lesser or greater extent, depending on the place in the case of piercings
and tats, and the amount of time the body is exposed to the unrelenting
ink-bearing needles.
Might there be alternate, less pathological explanations for this tsunami
of seeming self-desecration? At a most basic and benign level, perhaps
tattooing and piercing are simply forms of self-expression, a means of
marking ourselves in a society that fosters, both wittingly and
unwittingly, anomie and anonymity. Perhaps, as postmodernists might
argue, this self-marking is a means of asserting mastery and control over
our bodies, and anchoring ourselves, quite literally during a time of life
when the only constant is change. Maybe it is not self-mutilation, but
rather self enhancement and adornment, a means of saying "I am' in a
way that is heard...body bling!  And don't forget the
socio/anthropological possibility that tats and piercings may demonstrate

10
loyalty, affiliation or be a ritualistic rite of passage. For some, it may
simply be the rush of adrenaline that accompanies a self-chosen and self-
controlled moment of physical pain.

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 Reflections
Reflection 1: How did the three forms of media shaped the
researcher’s thinking?
Artifact 1: Jotted Lines
This article explored the idea of how idea body piercings are becoming a
trend among many adolescents. It also explained that adolescents get
body piercings for a number of reasons, whether as a sense of
individuality or even as a fashion trend. This article helped the
researcher to understand that adolescents who alter the bodies through
piercings do so to stand out and each piercing has a broader significance
regardless of health risks.
Artifact 2: The Journal of Family Practice
A similar approach was evident in the second article to develop the idea
that piercings are on the rise among many adolescents. However, this
article developed on the idea that adolescents get piercings for self-
fulfillment and satisfaction. This article changed the researcher’s
perspective on piercings and allowed him to acknowledge piercings as
forms of expression and body art not just forms of self-mutilation.
Artifact 3: Psychology Today
This article on the other hand compared the ideas that piercings can be
seen as self-mutilation or self enhancement. It developed the fact that
piercings as self enhancement, they can be a unique form of self-
expression but it can also be self-mutilation and have negative health
effects. This article opened the researcher eyes to the fact that although
these body piercings are unique and beautiful but it can also have its
negative effects.

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 Reflection 2: How language is used in all three forms of
media?
Artifact 1: Jotted Lines
The first article is a well worded and structured piece of English. It took
the point of view to persuade the reader by using factual statements
about the effects of piercings on youths and what might be some
possible reasons for getting them. It is because the article is structured in
this manner it allows the reader to understand both the good and bad
effects of the piercings. The English utilized in this article was one of a
formal style and focused mainly on reporting the facts.
Artifact 2: The Journal of Family Practice
This article is a well-organized and properly structured report. This
article is written in a style that relies heavily on the use of statistics. It is
because of its writing style this article has the advantage of persuading
the reader with the use first-handed gathered information. This article
utilized a statistical approach to persuade the reader by presenting him
with the good and bad facts to make a report and a persuasive overview.
This forces the reader to acknowledge both the pros and cons of body
piercings.
Artifact 3: Psychology Today
This article is a blog that chose a writing style where it is written in a
debate style. Therefore, it is easy for this article to compare and contrast
whether or not body piercings are a good thing or not. This article
captivates the reader by presenting the reader with the pros of having
body piercings under the heading self-expression. Then it presents the
reader with the cons under the heading, self-mutilation. This allows the
reader to see the beauty of body piercings but also understand the
negative effects.

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 Reflection 3: How the process of doing this School Based
Assessment made the researcher a better person.
Artifact 1: Jotted Lines
It is because of this article’s factual writing style and formal English the
idea of body piercings was easily delivered to the reader. It is because of
this article the researcher was able to better understand the reasons
behind why adolescents get body piercings. This article showed the
researcher that these adolescents get body piercings to be different and
stand out. This article reshaped my thinking and changed the perspective
I had on persons who have body piercings.
Artifact 2: The Journal of Family Practice
This article used a statistical approach to determine whether or not body
piercing is essentially a good thing or bad thing. This article is
responsible for showing the researcher a clearer picture of adolescents
who get body piercings. It used its findings to convince the reader that
persons with body piercings are not necessarily bad. This article made
the researcher a better person by showing him that body piercings can be
seen as a form of art and self-expression. This makes him appreciate the
different body piercings and how they are see them.
Artifact 3: Psychology Today
This article was very persuasive because of its debate style structure and
expressive point of view. This article played the role of conveying the
point that body piercings has both good and bad effects. This article
made allowed the researcher to become a better person by concretizing
the idea that body piercing is a form of self-expression. However, this
article also made the researcher conscious of the health risks.

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 Group Written Report
Teenagers of America have a major influence on the lifestyle of youths
all over the world. Since these Americans are provided with a lot more
than just the basic necessities of life, their actions have major impact on
identity of individuals in the 21st century. Our subtopics, ‘Why are
piercings a trend in the 21st century?’, ‘The negative effects of skin
whitening in modern society’, ‘The negative effects of tattooing on the
youths of modern society’ and ‘Natural hair, a means of true expression
for Black and Biracial women’, all seek to prove that current trends are
inescapable and that in the midst of copying the appearance of
Americans, individuals can either destroy their identity or embrace it.
Each group member’s artifacts were analyzed through thorough
explanation and examination of how each artifact shaped our thinking
and how effective the language techniques were in aiding our
comprehension. Then, the three artifacts that the researchers believed
were suitable to exemplify the aim of the topic were chosen.
We chose the visual artifact on Skin Whitening because the expository
language used in the video was clear and concise. The video appealed to
our sense of sight, for we were able to see that with the constant use of
these harmful bleaching products, the skin can become burnt and
inflammatory and users can acquire many diseases. The gruesome
pictures displayed in the video made this horrible truth easy to
remember. We chose the article on Body Piercings (Psychology Today)
because of the debate style writing which embodies the opposing and
proposing views on body piercings. This article allowed us to understand
that though body piercings are eye appealing, they do have negative
effects on the body. The last artifact chosen was the visual artifact on
Natural Hair. The raw, pure and heartfelt emotions expressed in the
spoken word ‘Hair’, motivated us to choose it. The informal language
used made us realize how important it is to embrace their natural hair to
black and biracial women.
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The researchers were able to work effectively and meet deadlines when
necessary. However, a few problems were encountered. Some group
members did not gather their artifacts on time- as a result, we took a
longer time to analyze the artifacts and one group member was irregular
at school due to her illness- hence, discussions were withheld until her
return. Nevertheless, the researchers were able to work effectively and
meet deadlines when necessary. We learnt two valuable lessons- 1)
patience is virtue- not everyone works at the same pace but we can help
them and 2) understanding the circumstances of others is vital for
successful teamwork.

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 Artifacts Used in Group Written Report
1ST artifact used in Group Written Report: Video on skin bleaching
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlVi-BV_Hk8

2nd Artifact used in Group Written Report: Website on Piercings

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 Psychology Today
Contemporary adolescent and young adult culture has embraced
tattooing and body piercing, ostensibly as a form of self-expression. It
seems that if not tattooed themselves, there are very few degrees of
separation between any adolescent and someone in their life who bears a
tattoo or is pierced somewhere on their body.  Sports stars, rock stars
and movie and television icons are covered in images and piercings.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry released
a statement in 1999 had released an article stating body piercing have
been associated with dangerous and sometimes lethal risk-
taking behavior, eating disorders, self-loathing, substance
abuse, depression and social alienation.
Are these all instances of self-mutilation, especially in the case of
multiple or full-body art and piercings of everything from nostrils,
tongues, belly-buttons, earlobes and eyelids (favorites among teen girls)
to nipples, genitals and everything between?  All of these hurt, to a
lesser or greater extent, depending on the place in the case of piercings
and tats, and the amount of time the body is exposed to the unrelenting
ink-bearing needles.
Might there be alternate, less pathological explanations for this tsunami
of seeming self-desecration? At a most basic and benign level, perhaps
tattooing and piercing are simply forms of self-expression, a means of
marking ourselves in a society that fosters, both wittingly and
unwittingly, anomie and anonymity. Perhaps, as postmodernists might
argue, this self-marking is a means of asserting mastery and control over
our bodies, and anchoring ourselves, quite literally during a time of life
when the only constant is change. Maybe it is not self-mutilation, but
rather self enhancement and adornment, a means of saying "I am' in a
way that is heard...body bling!  And don't forget the
socio/anthropological possibility that tats and piercings may demonstrate

18
loyalty, affiliation or be a ritualistic rite of passage. For some, it may
simply be the rush of adrenaline that accompanies a self-chosen and self-
controlled moment of physical pain.

3rd Artifact used in Group Written Report: Video on Natural Hair

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 Black women’s hair throughout History uploaded by As/Is.

Oral Piece (Plan of Investigation)

The oral presentation would take the form of a speech. The type of
speech would be one of a formal nature, and will seek to persuade the
listeners. The researcher drew inspiration from the articles used, which
was from the artifacts. The research done on the articles left the reader
with a feeling of ecstasy and as such the researcher wishes to persuade
the audience into seeing the topic of piercings as he does. The researcher
chose this approach to speak because the attention of the audience can
easily be grasped and they can better understand the idea the speech will
attempt to convey.

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 Oral Piece
Good morning fellow students, prestigious teacher and invited
guests. My name is Randy Khedoo and I was tasked with enlightening
you on the topic of piercings for youths in the 21st century. Some
individuals posit the view that piercings are negative and the persons
who have them are of an uncultured ilk, others may disagree. I am of the
view that contrary to the topic that not all persons with piercings are
awful and still needs to be treated with respect. Why do I argue this
way?
Firstly, piercings are not negative and the people who have them
should be accepted as normal persons because piercings can be seen as a
form of creativity and self-expression. Piercings do not define a person’s
potential or nature and as such persons with piercing should not be
judged but should be respected instead. Persons with piercings also

21
make the argument that piercings are just simply a way to step outside
the norm and stand out.
It is because piercings portray a peculiar nature that they are often
misunderstood and as such misinterpreted. It is often noted from most
persons with piercings that it is just a fashion trend, for others an
extension of their imagination or even a means of highlighting their
independence. One’s fashion choices do not play a role in what defines a
person’s character. It is simply their choice and they should be allowed
that freedom and right to get piercings.
My dear friend John Crow is someone who is ecstatic about
piercings. His body is heavily pierced especially his face and often he
would be discriminated against by society for his style. Yet, still even as
a victim of society, John is still one of the largest donors to The
Children’s Hunger Fund. I implore you to think for yourselves and tell
me why would a person labeled imperfect by society for his piercings,
still take time to donate to charity?
It has also been factually proven that piercings do not define
someone’s capabilities. According to a study carried out by students of
York University on their campus, it was shown that of the 100 pierced
persons interviewed, 40 of them got pierced for style, 30 wanted to be
different and stand out, 20 of them got it as a form of self-expression and
the other 10 for other reasonable reasons. Of the total 100 pierced
students surveyed, 80 of them are top performing students. This
ultimately proves piercings do not limit one’s capabilities and do not
control one’s abilities.
We can all conclude that piercings are a fashion trend and are just
an extent of creativity and self-expression. Piercings are just a way for
persons to break away and be different. They are not negative and
should be accepted. Thank you.

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 Table of Citation
Type of Author Title of Title of Date of Publication
Article Article Website and URL

Journal Jotted lines Body Jotted Lines January 12, 2013

author piercing is
increasing in http://jottedlines.com
popularity /society/body-piercing-is-
among youth increasing-in-popularity-
today, but among-youth-today-but-
there is no there-is-no-consensus-as-
consensus as to-reasons-behind-this-
to reasons trend/
behind this

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 trend.

Type of Author Title of Title of Date of Publication

Article Article Website and URL

Website Joan-Carles Piercing The Journal February, 2007

Suris, MD, among of Family
PhD, MpH adolescents: Practice https://www.mdedge.com
Body art as /jfponline/article/62563
risk marker /piercing-among-
adolescents-body-art-risk-
marker
Type of Author Title of Title of Date of Publication
Article Article Website and URL

Website Lawrence Tattoos and Psychology July 02, 2009

Rubin PhD, Body Today
ABPP, Piercing: https://www.psychology
LMHC, Adolescent today.com/us/blog/popular-
RPT-S Self- culture-meets-
Expression psychology/200907/tattoos-
or Self- and-body-piercing-
Mutilation? adolescent-self-expression-
or

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