Motivations for Seeking Laser Tattoo Removal and Perceived Outcomes as Reported by Justice Involved Adults

The goal of this study is to describe reasons for desiring removal of unwanted tattoos and self-reported outcomes among justice-involved adults (JIA) receiving free laser tattoo removal in Southern California. Between 2016 and 2021, JIA completed voluntary anonymous surveys at baseline (n = 53) and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternational journal of offender therapy and comparative criminology Vol. 67; no. 1; pp. 126 - 145
Main Authors Ojeda, Victoria D., Magana, Christopher, Hiller-Venegas, Sarah, Romero, Laura S., Ortiz, Arisa
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.01.2023
SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
Subjects
Body modification
Discrimination
Employment
Gangs
Justice
Long term
Motivation
Patients
Police community relations
Police-Citizen interactions
Prisoners
Self esteem
Stigma
Tattoos
tattoo regret
mental health
reentrants
laser tattoo removal
gang tattoos
tattoo removal
employment
justice impacted
probationers
laser medicine
community reentry
justice involved
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Summary:The goal of this study is to describe reasons for desiring removal of unwanted tattoos and self-reported outcomes among justice-involved adults (JIA) receiving free laser tattoo removal in Southern California. Between 2016 and 2021, JIA completed voluntary anonymous surveys at baseline (n = 53) and follow-up (n = 113) visits. Descriptive analyses were generated for quantitative items. Themes were identified from open-ended questions. Patients were predominantly male (74%) and most (81%) reported tattoo-related discrimination. Adjusted multivariate analyses showed that a higher number of domains in which patients reported tattoo-related discrimination was associated with having more tattoos to remove and citing reasons for removal related to employment and stigma by association (e.g., gang membership and police interactions). At follow-up, 48% of patients felt they were treated better in their community, and nearly a quarter of patients (25%) reported greater confidence and self-esteem. JIA seek tattoo removal due to stigma and discrimination. While JIA reported diverse benefits, tattoo removal should likely be considered as one element of comprehensive programing that addresses JIA’s diverse emotional, social, and economic needs. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify the long-term effects of tattoo removal for JIA.
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ISSN:0306-624X
1552-6933
DOI:10.1177/0306624X221102807