The context of body art: body piercing and tattooing among high school students in a North-Eastern Italian region

The present study analyses factors associated with the propensity for piercing and tattooing among adolescents, from a survey conducted in 2007 in high schools in the Veneto Region (Northeast Italy). After some descriptive analyses, multinomial logistic regression models were applied to identify what predicts the practice of, interest in, or indifference to piercing and tattooing. Results show gender differences in the approach to body modification: For girls, body art is considered a mainstream activity involving younger cohorts; piercing and tattooing become a way of increasing their own body satisfaction. For boys, factors connected with the propensity for these practices are a low cultural background and the importance given to physical appearance. For both boys and girls, a significant aspect in defining attitudes toward body art practices is the values system: Values such as enjoyment, beauty, and youth, are found to be closely connected with a high propensity for these practices.