In a recent and disgusting move, Chris Brown has revealed his newest tattoo: ostensibly a picture of a battered woman’s face. While sources close to Chris claim that it’s “just a random woman,” there’s no denying that the face inked onto his neck bears more than a passing resemblance to Rihanna, his superstar ex-girlfriend who he physically assaulted in 2009.

The tattoo can be seen by clicking here.

Now, I’m not heartless: if I squint and turn my head a certain way, I can almost make out the possibility of good intentions behind that tattoo. There is, of course, a chance that he got inked as a kind of self-flagellation, a punishment inflicted on himself and a constant, permanent reminder of the damage he’s done. But honestly, the chances of that genuinely being the case are slim.

Here is a man who thinks nothing of physically assaulting a woman, one who trusted him, loved him, and made herself vulnerable to him. He has shown very little remorse for his actions (even going so far as to allegedly joke about it, and turn it into a pick-up line), and has gotten off, all things considered, pretty lightly. His career is still intact, he still has legions of adoring fans ready to ambush anyone who dares speak out against him, and he’s still living the high life with no reason to look back or reflect on his actions.

This is why it’s hard for me to believe that got that tattoo for an admirable reason. But as I said, there is a slight possibility, so it has to be considered. Here’s the thing, though: suppose the tattoo was meant as a sign of regret, or remorse? Suppose he was trying to redeem himself? Suppose he was just trying to put things right? It still wouldn’t make it okay.

Regardless of intentions, a convicted abuser is now walking around with a reminder of it in a very prominent place on his body. It’s not only Rihanna that has to be reminded of it every time she looks at him. It’s a potential trigger (and a graphic one, at that) for anyone who has ever suffered a similar kind of abuse. It takes a special kind of asshole to tattoo that on themselves without a second thought to how it might affect people, especially if they’re in the public eye.

Moreover, given the size of Chris Brown’s worryingly dedicated fan base, you can bet that among them are people who will interpret that tattoo as a badge of honor, and use it as a sick justification for their own actions, whatever they may be. After all, tattoos are interpreted differently by everybody, and Chris’ newest tattoo is one that has very few positive interpretations.

It’s true the tattoo does look like it could be a sugar skull, but even that wouldn’t absolve him; it looks enough like a battered woman to function as one, and the fact that he didn’t consider this shows just how thoughtless he is, and more importantly, how far he has to come in understanding the true impact of his actions on his victims, society, and himself.

What are your thoughts on Chris Brown’s tattoo and the implications that come with it? Share with us in the comments.

Written by Kaya Harridge
Find her on twitter, or her personal blog, floralinguist.com!