For many survivors of sexual assault, one of the biggest obstacles is the struggle for their body. Recent studies have found that through the process of tattooing, survivors can again control their narratives, thereby making them feel capable and more capable throughout the recovery process. Whether survivors choose tattoos to represent their anger, to reflect their spirit of struggle, or to express recovery, it has been proven that these permanent artworks can indeed help survivors feel complete again and start over.
A study on sexual assault victims and tattoos conducted by Tailor and Francis Online found the following content about the motivations of survivors’ tattoos: “A basic theme that emerged was the desire to gain control as a choice The main decision-maker was tattooed. More specifically, the author discovered that the tattoo was used to overcome the feeling of powerlessness inherent in the traumatic experience. The survivor used the tattoo as a means of regaining the personal ownership of the injured body, which was previously “owned”. Offenders (Maxwell, Thomas and Thomas 2019)."
In exploring the reasons why tattoos are so cathartic to survivors of sexual assault, the study pointed out: “Tattoos may be an appropriate platform to integrate the effects of trauma psychologically through physical re-experience (that is, purposeful) during the tattooing process. .Causing pain), so that we can further understand through the body in a controlled environment..."
Another example of the healing power of tattoo comes from the musician Lady Gaga, who chose to obtain a "fire rose uniform tattoo" after being raped at the age of 19 to symbolize her power and restore healing. Gaga drew inspiration from the DNA structure, personally designed and named the symbol, the universal infinity symbol and her favorite flower, the white rose. She unveiled the prelude to this new song when she sang the song "Until It Happens to You", which aims to reveal the tragic experience of sexual abuse. Following in her footsteps, many fans and sexual assault survivors decided to adopt this symbol as their own symbol and use it as a tool in the treatment process.
