Tattoos and piercings.

The study showed that tattoos and piercings are more common among those who were abused in childhood or received little attention from their parents. Researcher Mareike Ernst and her colleagues used a sample of 2,510 participants aged 14 to 44. The results showed that about 40% of the participants had at least one tattoo or piercing, and approximately 25% of the participants reported severe abuse or neglect at an early age. Among participants who reported childhood abuse, 48% had tattoos or piercings.