Identifying with punk culture is a bad idea! You might not realize it, but you are appropriating a culture from actual criminals and deviants. When adults see you, they see a criminal (even though you probably aren't one). You become every bully that harassed them, every dirtbag who fucked with them, and every criminal that ever wronged them. Just be aware of this when you choose to identify as punk. People won't see the good in you, only the bad.
Punk wasn't born from ‘criminals and deviants,’ dear anon. The seeds for Punk were planted in the 50's by nihilism, Marxism, and anarchism; and then bands like The Sex Pistols and The Ramones; and British youth culture of the time.
It would serve you well to actually know what you are talking about before criticizing what is ultimately the music I like, the way I like to dress, and all the things I said in my post about why I am glad that the culture exists.
I’m not denying the existence of the Neo-Nazi punks (which is really one of the few groups in punk I could say is made up of “dirtbags”) and criminals who happen to be punks, but punk culture isn't grounded in crime, or bullying, or any of that bullshit. It’s mostly about political or social change, and for many punks it is only about the music and the aesthetic. Hell, on of the more substantial subgroups is straight-edge-punk and they abstain from drugs and alcohol, even casual sex in some cases.
SO: In conclusion, 1) I happen to be an adult, and not a criminal, 2) Punk does not belong to ‘criminals and deviants’ (you judgmental Judy) 3) Punk is a diverse culture with more subgroups than you can shake a stick at (DIY-punk, anarcho-punk, crust-punk, euro-punk, Islam-punk, literally anything you can think of there is a punk subgroup for it.) 4) I will NOT change the way I dress or the music I look like or the culture I enjoy simply because “adults will see me as a criminal” because my identity is not for them, it is for me and 5) You sound like you’ve been hurt, abused, or somehow wronged by someone claiming to be punk, and I am sorry they did that, but you shouldn’t project that on everyone who identifies with a punk culture.
You may have meant well with this warning, but frankly you only come of as judgmental and bitter. Frankly, I only bothered responding to this to educate your ass.
-Sincerely,
Kris