Young Offenders, Tattoos and Recidivism

Among 898 young offenders held in South Australian secure care centres, 17% of males and 30% of females reported having tattoos. These were significantly higher incidences than in a local high school student sample and were higher than national general population rates. Significant correlations were found between tattooed status and responses to items relating to aggression (temper, fighting, deliberate self-injury) and substance use, though these were not strong. Neither tattooed status nor the desire (among those with tattoos) to have tattoos removed were significantly related to 6-month post-release recidivism status among either male or female young offenders. At the crude level of whether an offender has tattoos or not, tattooed status cannot be used as a predictor of recidivism risk. It is suggested that for some offenders the act of removing conspicuous tattoos can signal prosocial changes in both projected image and self-concept. Research is needed into whether particular aspects of being tattooed (e.g., size, number, design) are related to criminality and whether tattoo removal is related to reduced recidivism.