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Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People

Received: 14 February 2016    Accepted: 28 February 2016    Published: 29 March 2016
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Abstract

Background: Many people have prejudices that subjects with tattoos have a tendency to criminal behavior. This article deals with the question if there really are differences in the inclination to criminal behavior between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Method: The investigation was conducted using 15 short descriptions of criminal behavior, which represent different crimes i.e. theft, burglary, malicious damage, consuming drugs, drinking alcohol in public transport or acting violent. The participants had to rate from zero to ten how they would react in these situations. A total of 110 persons (average age 23.5 y., 66.4% male, 33.6% female; 55% no tattoo, 45% tattooed) were interviewed. Results: There was a small but significant difference between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Interestingly there was a significant intra-group difference between more pacific and more aggressive tattoo themes. In consideration of the gender, the number of tattoos and the visibility of tattoo no significant differences or correlations were discovered. Conclusion: Decisive for the tendency toward criminal behavior is not, whether someone has a tattoo or not; more important is what the tattoo shows. Apparently people with aggressive tattoos are more prone to criminal behavior, but not people with peaceful tattoos.

DOI 10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12
Published in Social Sciences (Volume 5, Issue 2, April 2016)
Page(s) 16-20
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Tattoo, Criminal Behavior, Prejudices

References
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[3] Förtig, H. (2002). Jugendbanden. [Youth gangs]. München: Herbert Utz Verlag GmbH.
[4] Guéguen, N. (2012). Tattoos, Piercings, and Alcohol Consumption. ISBRA, 36(7), 1253-1256. doi: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01711.x.
[5] Junker, H. (2008). Aussagemöglichkeiten zu Tätowierungen aus vor- und frühgeschichtlicher Zeit. [Expressive possibilities to tattoos from prehistoric and early historical times.] Unpublished Magister-Thesis, University of Hamburg, Germany.
[6] Kasten, E. (2006). Body Modification. München, Basel: Reinhardt.
[7] King, K. A. & Vidourek R. A. (2013). Getting inked: Tattoo and risky behavioral involvement among university students. The Social Science Journal, 50, 540-546.
[8] Lemert, E. M. (1951). Social pathology: A systematic approach to the theory of sociopathic behavior. New York: McGraw-Hill.
[9] Liao, P., Chang, H. & Su, Y. (2014). Is tattooing a risk factor for adolescents' criminal behavior? Empirical evidence from an administrative data set of juvenile detainees in Taiwan. Society for Risk Analysis, 34, 2080-2088. doi: 10.1111/risa.12232.
[10] Lombroso, C & Ferrero, G. (1894). Das Weib als Verbrecherin und Prostituierte. [Woman as criminal and prostitute] Hamburg: Verlagsanstalt A.-G., Königlich schwedisch-norwegische Hofverlagshandlung.
[11] Mergen, A. (1968). Der geborene Verbrecher – Ein Bericht über Chromosomenforschung und Kriminologie. [Born criminals - A report on chromosome research and criminology]. Hamburg: Kriminalistik Verlag.
[12] Roberts, T. & Ryan, S. (2002). Tattooing and High-Risk Behavior in Adolescents. Pediatrics, 110, 1058-1063.
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[14] Schwind, H.-D. (2011). Kriminologie. [Criminology]. Heidelberg: Kriminalistik Verlag.
[15] Stöver, H. & Bammann, K. (2006). Tätowierungen im Strafvollzug: Haft-Erfahrungen, die unter die Haut gehen. [Tattoos in prison: prison experiences that get under your skin]. Oldenburg: BIS-Verlag der Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg.
[16] Sutherland, E. H., & Cressey, D. R. (1984). Differential association theory. In D. H. Kelly (Ed.), Deviant behavior (2nd ed.). NY: St. Martins Press, 125–131.
[17] Swami, V., Gaughan. H., Tran, U. S., Kuhlmann, T., Stieger, S. & Voracek, M. (2015). Are tattooed adults really more aggressive and rebellious than those without tattoos? Body Image, 15, 149-152. doi: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.09.001.
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  • APA Style

    Nina Zeiler, Erich Kasten. (2016). Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People. Social Sciences, 5(2), 16-20. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12

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    ACS Style

    Nina Zeiler; Erich Kasten. Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People. Soc. Sci. 2016, 5(2), 16-20. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12

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    AMA Style

    Nina Zeiler, Erich Kasten. Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People. Soc Sci. 2016;5(2):16-20. doi: 10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12,
      author = {Nina Zeiler and Erich Kasten},
      title = {Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People},
      journal = {Social Sciences},
      volume = {5},
      number = {2},
      pages = {16-20},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ss.20160502.12},
      abstract = {Background: Many people have prejudices that subjects with tattoos have a tendency to criminal behavior. This article deals with the question if there really are differences in the inclination to criminal behavior between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Method: The investigation was conducted using 15 short descriptions of criminal behavior, which represent different crimes i.e. theft, burglary, malicious damage, consuming drugs, drinking alcohol in public transport or acting violent. The participants had to rate from zero to ten how they would react in these situations. A total of 110 persons (average age 23.5 y., 66.4% male, 33.6% female; 55% no tattoo, 45% tattooed) were interviewed. Results: There was a small but significant difference between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Interestingly there was a significant intra-group difference between more pacific and more aggressive tattoo themes. In consideration of the gender, the number of tattoos and the visibility of tattoo no significant differences or correlations were discovered. Conclusion: Decisive for the tendency toward criminal behavior is not, whether someone has a tattoo or not; more important is what the tattoo shows. Apparently people with aggressive tattoos are more prone to criminal behavior, but not people with peaceful tattoos.},
     year = {2016}
    }
    

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    T1  - Decisive Is What the Tattoo Shows: Differences in Criminal Behavior Between Tattooed and Non-tattooed People
    AU  - Nina Zeiler
    AU  - Erich Kasten
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    T2  - Social Sciences
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    JO  - Social Sciences
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    PB  - Science Publishing Group
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    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ss.20160502.12
    AB  - Background: Many people have prejudices that subjects with tattoos have a tendency to criminal behavior. This article deals with the question if there really are differences in the inclination to criminal behavior between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Method: The investigation was conducted using 15 short descriptions of criminal behavior, which represent different crimes i.e. theft, burglary, malicious damage, consuming drugs, drinking alcohol in public transport or acting violent. The participants had to rate from zero to ten how they would react in these situations. A total of 110 persons (average age 23.5 y., 66.4% male, 33.6% female; 55% no tattoo, 45% tattooed) were interviewed. Results: There was a small but significant difference between tattooed and non-tattooed people. Interestingly there was a significant intra-group difference between more pacific and more aggressive tattoo themes. In consideration of the gender, the number of tattoos and the visibility of tattoo no significant differences or correlations were discovered. Conclusion: Decisive for the tendency toward criminal behavior is not, whether someone has a tattoo or not; more important is what the tattoo shows. Apparently people with aggressive tattoos are more prone to criminal behavior, but not people with peaceful tattoos.
    VL  - 5
    IS  - 2
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Author Information
  • Medical School Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences, Am Kaiserkai, Hamburg, Germany

  • Medical School Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences, Am Kaiserkai, Hamburg, Germany

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