Significance of tattoo marks in forensic psychology: a review

Tattoos as a form of non verbal expression have gone mainstream from a stigma or taboo during last few decades. Once used only by sailors and prostitutes, now a day you can see tattoos on any person regardless of age, sex, race, occupation and geography. Reasons for getting tattoos can be: attention, self-expression, artistic freedom, rebellion, a visual display of a personal narrative, reminders of spiritual/cultural traditions, sexual motivation, addiction, identification with a group or even drunken impulsiveness. However tattooing has become common but it has always been a bit controversial because of association of tattooing with so called deviant minds. The objective of this review of literature is to get an insight into the world of tattoos and to look for association between the tattoos and the psychology of the bearer in forensic scenario.