a cry for help

A conspicuous action, often characterized by aberrant behavior, that masks a conscious or subconscious need for help or attention. This young man's crime was not malevolently motivated; it was a cry for help that he did not know how to communicate.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Maarten	MAH:R-tən	Dutch
CÉLia	SE-lyə	Portuguese
FÉLicienne	-	French
Dickerson	['dikəsən]
Ekaterina	ye-kah-tye-REE-nah (Russian), ee-kah-tee-REE-nah (Russian)	Bulgarian, Macedonian, Russian
Eburwin	-	Ancient Germanic