New law will train tattoo artists on human trafficking

A new law in Tennessee aims to train tattoo artists how to recognize human trafficking. The Ink of Hope Act, which went into effect Jan. 1, will give artists a free course through a state-recognized nonprofit. Those with a license are required to complete up to one hour of training by the end of 2028. Artists will learn how to recognize signs of human trafficking, how to respond and report it and the resources that exist for victims. But while tattoo artists appreciate the effort, some are frustrated that they had to learn about the law through the news or their own research. "I feel relatively uninformed," said Nathaniel Sawyers, a tattoo artist at the House of Ink in Johnson City. One recent study estimates that nearly half of human trafficking survivors are tattooed or branded by their trafficker at some point during their victimization, a fact reported in the initial proposal of the law. Both Sawyers and Casey Charles, another House of Ink tattoo artist, said the state has not told them about the act or training requirements. They added that through training, they would most want to learn which symbols signal trafficking. Charles said while the artists sometimes come across designs they can't decode, they often don't seem unsafe. Neither artist has knowingly encountered an incident of trafficking in their career. "But we could have come across something like that and not known it was harmful," Charles said. Sawyers added he would want to know what information would be needed for a report and how to handle a situation if it did happen. "You don't want to put yourself in danger either," he said. "You don't want to tip your hand and say 'I'm onto you.'" These questions would be answered through training, according to the law. Hayley Griffith, the education and outreach coordinator for the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, said industry-specific trainings would help break down myths and misconceptions and tease out "what our frame of reference for human trafficking tends to be versus what we're actually seeing in our region." "Oftentimes people are going to look for this silver bullet answer" to recognize trafficking, she said. "It's just not usually that simple." And the tattoos that mark trafficking aren't always the stereotypical, obvious icons people may expect. "It's, at face value, nothing that you would associate with trafficking activity," Griffith said. Designs could include symbols associated with a trafficker's street name. Tattoos suggestive of involvement in the commercial sex industry or ownership can also cause concern, although they don't automatically mean someone is being trafficked, Griffith said. She added that giving artists information about area resources and people who can help victims through training is also beneficial. Courses for artists are available online through the Tennessee Department of Health, a department spokesperson told Six Rivers Media in an email. Artists interested in additional counter-trafficking work can donate their time to tattoo removal, Griffith added. Jonathan Swiney, the owner of Raven Mocker Tattoo in Kingsport and a member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists, said he believes the idea of the law is in the right place. However, he has concerns about its efficacy and the lack of communication with artists when creating policy. Swiney also said the state has not notified him about any training. "It's kind of a reflection of our current state of regulators and legislators dropping the ball on their side of holding the responsibility of communication and consideration for something so impactful," he said.