Some decades ago, tattoos are seen in the society as gang related symbol even when they are or not related to any gang. This is because tattooing is still rare and not generally acceptable in most society. Most people view those with a tattoo to belong to a kind of gang or criminal association. Although a lot of people in that generation cannot identify which symbol belongs to a particular gang but they believe any particular tattoo belongs to a criminal world.
Tattoos in the world today have lost the type of connection and associations it has in the past. It is now common and acceptable in most society with the understanding of what each tattoo symbolize. However, among other tattoos, gang tattoo still exists and most gang member operating in the major cities still wear tattoo representing their gang icon.
Why people get gang tattoo
Like other traditional tribal tattoos, gang tattoo is specially design as a representation of a group that is it mark an individual as a member of that group. Sometimes it is meant as an indication of status.
To most gang member and prison inmate, tattoos are like a signified code that speaks a language understood by the member of the gang. To some prisoners, it stands for what they are in for.
There are lots of fascinating tattoo images are being spread around by media, making masses to be exposed to series of body art. While certain tattoo may mean nothing to the masses, it actually portrays a different meaning to the people that belong to a gang.
Sometimes some people are given tattoos by force most often on the face. This type of unwanted gang tattoos is usually given to humiliate or embarrassed the person. Reasons people get branded with unwanted gang tattoos range from humiliation, revenge, and stigmatization. It usually serves as a punishment for breaking a certain rule or gang code, being a snitch etc. certain criminals in prison such as child murderer, child rapist, or serial killers are being forcibly branded with such tattoos by other inmates to humiliate and outcast them.
Gang tattoo is largely associated with prisoners and convicts, most criminals get a tattoo before they enter the prison and even continued to get more while in prison. Because lot of gangs exist in the prison and becomes powerful. To ensure their survival in prison most convict join a particular gang while they in prison yard. They show affiliation to the gang to enjoy some special privilege or some sort of protection from the gang members. Most convicts gets a particular tattoo associated with the gang they joined as a sign of commitment to this gang. Prison gang tattoo is a very common practice in America in prison.
The most respected and the most fear tattoo symbols in any prison in the world are the Russian tattoo. Russian gang tattoo is often done with extreme detail and commands a lot of attention and respect even among the inmate. Their tattoos bear multiple interpretations and often tell a lot about the inmate with the tattoo. The tattoos are a highly secretive and highly coded.