Tattoos and Criminal Behavior Essay - 1890 Words

Introduction The ancient practice of tattooing, once considered a trademark of social outcasts and criminals, has steered back into mainstream culture at an alarming rate (Irwin 2001, Swan 2006). In western society, tattoos are often associated with antisocial behaviour. In 1895, Cesare Lombroso concluded in his study that the art of tattooing is most commonly found on the bodies of criminals (Putnins 2002). The frequency of tattoo’ are predicted to be found at higher rates in criminal subcultures than in the general public. According to the 2003 Harris poll, nearly 40 million Americans’ have at least one tattoo. The practice is becoming more popular with teenagers. With thousands of people getting ‘inked’ everyday around the world,†¦show more content†¦Houghton et al. comprised the study of 464 high school students; equally divided by gender, from 5 separate schools in a large Australian city. All the students were given a questionnaire of 21 questions, which ranged from location, number of tattoos, also age of acquisition and awareness of health risks. Another study, which analyzed the relationship between increased offending risk and having tattoos, was conducted in an Australian prison (Putnins 2002, Crofts, Thompson, Wales, Hernberger 1996). At the time of the study 97% of adults were found to have tattoos. In addition, 73% of the tattooed group was found to have been in juvenile detention centers. The average age of getting their first tattoo was approximately 15 years old. The study concluded that the link between tattoos and offending was quite evident even at an early age. Arnett (1995) suggests that body modification, which include piercings and tattoos can be best described by ones reckless impulsivity, and adolescents can be more likely to engage in delinquent behaviour as they do not fully comprehend their actions. Atkinson (2003) argues although some tattoos may have meaning behind it, others get tattoos simply because it is deviant by social standards. Further more, research on adolescent tattooing supportsShow MoreRelatedWhy Should People Commit Crime And Labeling Theory From A Sociological Perspective1743 Words   |  7 PagesSociologists have done thousands of research studies on deviance; an action or behavior that is out of the norm. However, the question that they are most intrigued with is; what causes a person to commit a deviant act? There are two theories that are in debate, anomie-strain theory, and labeling theory. In this essay, I am going to compare and contrast the two theories and explain how tattooing has become a stigma in tod ay s society. I am going to discuss three similarity views; first they shareRead MoreDeviance : Deviance And Deviant Behavior1551 Words   |  7 Pagesdeviant behavior are referred to as deviants. We must understand that deviance differs from crime. 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