Tattooed college students: an exploratory analysis

Abstract

Tattooing is an ancient art. Tattoos have been used to worship gods, to show tribal membership, and to display wealth. However, in modern Western culture tattooing has been a devalued practice reserved for the those on the fringe of society.

In the last twenty-five years, however, more mainstream people, including college students, have begun to get tattoos. Despite the increased acceptance of tattoos, a person aspiring to become a professional who gets a tattoo is putting her/his personal life and career at risk. This study examines the process by which college students become tattooed. Two models put forth by Sanders will be used to facilitate this examination.

The findings reveal that college students come to be tattooed in a different manner than do others. College students are more risk averse. They choose small, easily concealed, non-violent tattoos. Their designs have themes such of nature, fraternity/sorority membership, and animal appreciation. These differences have led the author to term this form of tattoos, "College Tattoos."

In future research, the first objective should be to gain an estimate of the population of tattooed college students. Next, research should examine the psychological profiles of tattooed college students to see how they might vary from those in the mainstream of college. This will allow researchers to see if College Tattoos are a form of psychopathology or if they are simply an alternate mode of self-expression.