“A Sexual Assault Is An Infringement On Your Body,” Maxwell Said. But By Marking Their Skin In Their

How tattoos help sexual assault survivors heal

Tattoos can help sexual assault survivors heal by allowing them to regain their sense of control, redefine their relationship with their bodies and move away from the identity of a victim to one of a survivor.

“A sexual assault is an infringement on your body,” Maxwell said. But by marking their skin in their own way, people are able to redefine their relationship with their bodies.

This is a “cathartic experience,” she said, and some people in her study didn’t realize how much they were holding on to their pain until they went through the process of selecting art that carries meaning for them and was designed to symbolize their experience.Reclaiming their bodies also allows people to “shed the identity as a victim and move toward being a survivor,” Maxwell explained.

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