When your teen gets a tattoo

A new book says many teenagers use tattoos and body piercings to tell the world they're trouble-makers - and that means parents are perfectly justified in panicking over belly button rings and "tramp-stamps".

But one of the authors, Professor Stephen Houghton, says parents should resist the temptation to lay down the law. The best they can do is ask their child to think twice before turning putting holes or ink in their body.

"If you advise them not to do it, I'm sure most of them would do it. What the parent says often doesn't outweigh the benefits of what they can show their friends.

"I'd say: 'You really need to think very carefully before you get this done. I'm not saying don't get it done, I'm just saying before you get it done, just stop and think."'

The book, Adolescent Reputations and Risk, was written by four academics, including Houghton, from the University of Western Australia, and University of Auckland professor John Hattie.

Its central finding is that most children choose their path early in life, perhaps in the first years at primary school. Some choose to be "conformers" which means they set goals like making top sports teams or getting good marks. But others decide to be "non- conformers", and set goals such as breaking school rules and getting in trouble with police. For non-conformers, tattoos or body piercings are a very visible, public way to enhance their reputation and step up a notch on the social ladder, the authors say.

But Houghton says teenagers struggle to understand the long-term consequences - particularly when it comes to tattoos, which are expensive to remove and send stronger "toughness" messages than piercings.

"[Teens] don't look ahead - you get these body markings that are with you for the rest of your life. They do signal to people that you're a particular type of person.

"We really do need to say to kids, let's discuss the consequences if you have this particular tattoo."

Aside from the wearer generally being seen as a trouble-maker, consequences could include being perceived as guilty in a court case, or missing out on a prestigious job.

Houghton says he knows of one man who had nude women tattooed on his arms, then made the mistake of rolling up his sleeves during a job interview with church elders.

University of Victoria student Juliet Buckler, 21, calls the tribal tattoo on her lower back her "slag-tag".

Buckler and a friend each got the same tattoo done when they were 16, completely unaware of the connotations of lower-back tattoos.

But Buckler doesn't plan to have it removed. "It's a bit of a reminder that I can make bad decisions."

- © Fairfax NZ News