The Meaning of Tattoos in Gangs

Although tattoos have become normalized in popular culture and body art in general is trendy in the general population, tattoos have traditionally served a central purpose in gang life. Gangs, including the Bloods, Crips, Latin Kings, MS13, Black Gangster Disciples, Aryan Nation, Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs, White Supremacists, Vice Lords, Yakuza, and Radical Islamists have all used tattoos for various reasons. This review of literature shows how criminal gangs use tattoos in a general sense, by drawing on the literature in psychology and sociology. Moreover, this literature review shows how different gangs may employ tattoos for different reasons using the symbolism meaningful to them. Finally, this review of literature shows how scholarly literature on gangs and tattoos can be applied to fields like criminal justice, healthcare, and education to aid in the identification of gang members and possibly even to prevent violence. Thesis: By identifying and understanding the functions and symbols of gang tattoos, it may be possible to identify high-risk individuals and prevent crimes from taking place.
Tattoos are of course not the only visual indicator of gang membership. Haircut, clothing, and the verbal and nonverbal language used can also be key indicators of one’s allegiance to a specific gang. However, tattoos remain a common indicator of gang membership. Mallon & Russel (1999) point out, “tattoos may indicate gang membership, a history of incarceration or drug abuse, sexual orientation, and more,” (p. 21). One of the reasons tattoos have been common as a visual marker of gang membership is that they can be subtle. As Struyk (2010) points out, “gang members are becoming subtler in their display of signs and paraphernalia,” (Struyk, 2010, p. 11). Phelan & Hunt (1998) also note that tattoos are integral to “communicating gang membership, status, rank, and personal accomplishments; they reflect a person's past career accomplishments and possible future career objectives,” which generally include organized criminal behaviors (p. 277). Therefore, contemporary and emerging methods, styles, and motifs in gang tattoos may be more complex and potentially less obvious than they have been in the past in order to retain anonymity. Conveying personal and collective identities is the key to understanding gang tattoos and preventing the problems linked with gang proliferation.
Some of the specific symbols used in different gangs range from the obvious, such as swastika or double lightening bolts among white supremacist/neo-Nazi gangs (Struyk, 2010). These are groups most notable for their commitment to race-related violence. Other less obvious gang-related symbols include geographic symbols, or special arrangements of dots and lines (Jacques, 2016). These are less indicative of specific crimes being committed than other types of gang tattoos. In many cases, the symbols used in gang tattoos can seem common or innocuous and used in non-gang tattoos as well. For example, the scales of justice, the tragedy/comedy theater symbol, skeletons, spider webs, and helicopters can all be symbols of gang identity but they are also symbols used by the general public (Jacques, 2016; Struyk, 2010). Gang tattoos can also represent each person’s rank within a gang, or level of seniority. Stuyk (2010) found that older or more veteran gang members can receive certain symbols like spider webs and headstones that are not available for newer gang members.
Level of seniority in a gang is most often linked with the number and severity of crimes committed, the most important of which is homicides or attempted homicides of rival gang members (Jacques. 2016; Phelan & Hunt, 1998; “15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” 2014). Likewise, tattoos signifying the number of homicides one has committed are not uncommon among gang members. For example, Jacques (2016) found that among Nuestra Familia members, some individuals with veteran experience killing have tattoos of a mustachioed bandolier with “a sombrero that covers his face and hides his identity,” and a number of bullets that indicates the number of kills (p. 3). Teardrops are also ubiquitous symbols of the number of kills one has committed, and are commonly witnessed in the prison population (“15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” 2014). In some cases, the teardrops indicate having served out a prison term (“15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” 2014). Struyk (2010) notes that in addition to teardrops, headstones bearing the letters RIP with a date next to it may refer to having filled a prison term.
Letters and words are also common in gang tattoos. Members of the Latin gang Nuestra Familia often use the letters “NF” to designate membership. Phelan & Hunt (1998) analyze “tattoos specific to members of the Nuestra Familia, a California-based prison gang,“ (p. 277). In some cases, the gang member uses letters to indicate their specific territory in they dominate, such as “SC” for south central (Jacques, 2016). Territorialism is common in gang life, indicating the boundaries of their criminal businesses and distribution networks for contraband. Alternatively, lettering may indicate hate crimes as when the letters “SWP” refers to “supreme white power,” (Struyk, 2010).
When the entire gang name is spelled out on the body, it is most often located on the chest, to symbolize the gang being close to the person’s heart. As Struyk (2010) points out, when this is the case, the gang member will avoid placing any other tattoos in the chest area to show how singularly important the gang is to their life and to their identity. In some cases, lettering in tattoo will accompany gang-related imagery. This is the case with the one of the biggest Latin gangs known in the United States, the Latin Kings, the members of which often boast a large five-pointed crown tattoo at the base of the neck (“15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” 2014). The crown symbol may be accompanied by the letters ALKN, which stands for “Almighty Latin Kings Nation.” 
Although the Japanese gang Yakuza are known worldwide for their elaborate colored tattoos, most prison gangs in North America have a long standing tradition of using black tattoos only. The main reason why black ink is favored by gang members in North America is that a lot of gang tattoos are actually acquired while in prison where black is the only color ink available (“15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” 2014). Therefore, when using tattoos to determine gang membership, a police or corrections officer does need to consider factors like coloring and symbolism. The symbolism used in gang tattoos may be personally meaningful to the individual as well as representing their affiliation with a specific gang. Reasons why gang members receive tattoos is both personal, as an expression of individual identity, and also so that the person will be easily identifiable to other gang members. On a more theoretical level, tattoos serve a psychological function as a means of solidifying identity. “Tattoos make an individual's self-definition more complete by visually communicating gang membership, status, rank, and personal accomplishments; they reflect a person's past career accomplishments and possible future career objectives,” (p. 277).
Educators and healthcare workers need to understand gang tattoos as much as law enforcement and corrections officers. The reason why gang tattoo identification can be important is that noticing these visible markers can lead to early interventions. As Mallon & Russell (1999) point out, “the emergency physician who is knowledgeable about tattoos gains immediate insight into his or her patients and may gather clinically relevant data,” (p. 21). Struyk (2010) focuses on how teachers can recognize gang member symbols not just in tattoos, which could be hidden beneath clothing. In fact, research shows that among adolescents, “more established members wear long sleeves and band aids to cover tattoos,” (Struyk, 2010, p. 12). Identifying gang tattoos can help corrections officers prevent or mitigate trouble, helping to maintain as much law and order as possible under their watch.




References

“15 Prison Tattoos and Their Meanings,” (2014). Corrections One. Retrieved online: https://www.correctionsone.com/prison-gangs/articles/7527475-15-prison-tattoos-and-their-meanings/
Jacques, S. (2016). What criminals’ tattoos symbolize: Drawing on Darwin, Durkheim, and Lombroso. Deviant Behavior. DOI: 10.1080/01639625.2016.1197606
Mallon, W.K. & Russell, M.A. (1999). Clinical and forensic significance of tattoos. Advanced Emergency Nursing Journal 21(3): 21-29.
Phelan, M.P. & Hunt, S.A. (1998). Prison gang members’ tattoos as identity work. Symbolic Interaction 21(3): 277-298.
Struyk, R. (2010). Gangs in our schools. The Clearing House 80(1): 11-13.