It’s understandable that after a trauma like rape, you might notice new desires or impulses, like wanting tattoos. Psychologically, this can happen for several reasons:

1. Reclaiming control over your body – After sexual assault, a common feeling is a loss of bodily autonomy. Tattoos are one of the ways people consciously choose what happens to their body, reclaiming agency and ownership.
2. Marking survival or identity – Some survivors get tattoos as a way of symbolizing survival, resilience, or the transformation that comes after trauma. It can be a permanent reminder that you endured and continue to live.
3. Creating a visual shield or boundary – Tattoos can sometimes serve as a psychological barrier, drawing attention to parts of the body in ways you choose, or even covering scars (physical or emotional) that you want to reclaim or transform.
4. Expression of emotion – Trauma often brings intense feelings that are hard to express verbally. Tattoos can be a way to externalize pain, grief, or empowerment.
5. Reasserting identity and beauty – After an assault, feelings of shame, objectification, or loss of self-worth are common. A tattoo can be a deliberate way to reclaim a sense of self, beauty, or uniqueness.