Tattoos = Deviance
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A new study by a sociologist from Texas Tech University tells us what we already know: tattoos are for sailors, whores and criminals. Actually, that’s not too far off.
The research by Jerome R. Koch, a sociology professor at Texas Tech University, reveals that those who have four or more tattoos, seven or more body piercings, or one”intimate piercing,” are far more prone to use illegal drugs, be arrested for criminal offenses, cheat on college work, binge drink, and have sex partners.
At this point, you may be asking yourself, how do I get myself one of them tattoos? But seriously, while there may indeed be a correlation between skin ink and nipple piercings with higher rates of risky (if not criminal behavior) did it take a study for us to reach this conclusion? Has Jerome R. Koch never watched “Cops” or “Jersey Shore?”
What are tattoos if not a an assertion of self-determination, a middle-finger to parental expectations and societal norms? Laisse les bon temps roulez! According to a 2006 Northwestern University finding, a quarter of all men and women between the age of 18 and 50 have at least one tattoo (three shy of real trouble), and 15 percent have a body piercing in a place other than the oh-so-staid earlobe.
From Angelina Jolie to Shaquille O’Neal, tats have become ubiquitous in our society. To be sure, tattoos aren’t just for circus folk anymore. But of the 40 million or so Americans who now sport a tattoo, nearly half say they regret besmirching their virgin skin. Yeah, yeah, tell it to the judge.
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David,
I’ve always reasoned against getting a tattoo because if the police were looking for me, body art would make it that much easier to find me. That makes me one of the ‘less deviant’, I suppose. I agree for sure if your arm is inked with Miranda Rights, but what if your tattoo is a bible quotation or a picture of jesus?
At least this study should help in fine tuning singles ads and describing your ideal mate on match.com!
Joe,
If you’ve kept your skin free of tattoos, and your nether regions suitable for passing through a metal detector without fear, then you truly are a counter-cultural man.
That was my plan all along. Wait them out, then show them all who was true trend setter.
HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM…. anyone i know who has a tatoo is dead. I wonder where that fits into their larger scheme of things. Well, they were in jail as well. I guess that study is valid enough.
When police, prosecutors, judges and jurors make negative generalizations about defendants with tattoos, wrongful convictions might more likely become the outcome. If only generalizations about the physical attributes of suspects in the context of the criminal justice system could be banned…