What are the roots of vandalism, its sources, its antecedents?

1. What are the roots of vandalism, its sources, its antecedents?

2. Causation... Motivational typologies (Martin) Predatory vandalism: here the perpetrators motivation is material gain. The destruction or damage involved is attendant on burglary or theft and at times, the effort to cover up the act. Smashing a parking meter or public telephones is an example of such predatory behaviour Vindictive vandalism: the goal of vandalism motivated in this manner is to express animosity or anger toward and perhaps to intimidate a particular individual or group. Martin provided the example of spiteful damage to property to settle grudges. Wanton vandalism: perpetrator motivation here is less clear or obvious and appears to be without reason. Destruction accompanying play and malicious destruction for the sheer joy of annoying unspecified others.

3. types of vandals • The disturbed vandal: engages in destructive behaviour as but one manifestation of more encompassing emotional problems • The law abiding vandal: vandal enacts so called incidental vandalism in response to temporary anger or need to retaliate. • Sub cultural vandal: performs vandalism as part of a formal gang or delinquent youth group activity. • (Video School Vandals)

4. Cohen’s vandalism Typology • Acquisitive vandalism: which is the same as Martins predatory type, this is damage committed in order to obtain property or money, i.e. stripping wire from building and breaking open gas or electric meters. • Tactical vandalism: here the perpetrators motivation is to employ vandalism as a purposeful tactic to accomplish other goals, such as, sabotaging a factory machine to facilitate a longer rest period of downtime or breaking a window in order to get arrested and thus secure a prison bed and meals • Ideological vandalism: is similar to tactical but oriented toward a social, political or similar cause or message. I.e. breaking an embassy window or chalking political slogans on walls. • Vindictive vandalism: this is damage done in order to gain revenge. The students who torches the school principal’s office after perceiving he was unjustly punished. • Play vandalism: this is destructive or disfigurement in the course of play i.e. who can break the most windows or shoot out the most street lamps. • Malicious vandalism: Cohen describes as damage used to express rage or frustration, often directed at symbolic middle class property

5. Who are the Real Vandals?! • “The real vandals in our society are the designers, specifiers and installers who provide the opportunity for so called “vandalism” to occur. Ninety percent of what is labelled vandalism can be prevented through design; the remaining 10 percent is malicious and unaccountable... Vandalism happens because hypocritical generation presents opportunities for misuse, and then shifts the blame for deterioration to vandalous youth. Weinmayr’s

6. Based on Weinmayr’s typology of vandalism, these singularly ecological views of causation were categorized. • Vandalism of overuse: such as the chain on the park swing which wears out • Conflict vandalism: for example, breaking a tree branch which is too low to walk around but low enough to swing on. • Curiosity vandalism: for example, a damaged drinking fountain after a youth jams a stick in its opening to see how high the water will squirt • Leverage vandalism: which will occur from trying to pry open a hole or slot with a bat or hockey stick • Delirious vandalism: damage to an item which could not possibly be stolen • Irresistible temptation vandalism: Weinmayr suggested that this type of vandalism is graffiti, that is “writing on a shiny painted surface with a magic marker” • No-other-way-to-do-it vandalism: such as leaning a bicycle against a tree when there is no bicycle rack

7. Weinmayr’s belief regarding the roots of vandalism is unconventional, how does this perspective help society and those labelled vandals?

8. With a different view of the roots of vandalism, Weinmayr’s offered a prescriptive international schema for his typology and its illustrations. • For vandalism of overuse: provide sufficient equipment • For conflict vandalism: build the path where he kids walk • For curiosity vandalism: unlock the gate so it would not be torn down • For leverage vandalism: remove loose boards used as levers or hammers • For deleterious vandalism: mount trash can on poles; replace when damaged • For irresistible temptation vandalism: use timbers difficult to write on • For no-other-way-to-do-it vandalism: install bicycle racks

9. Aesthetic theory which was formulated by Allen and Greenberger (1978). Three phases or stages of vandalism can be identified—before, during and after destruction. • Firststage: before destruction, variation in appearance may exist in terms of structural variables (such as complexity, novelty and expectedness) psychophysical properties (size or intensity) and organization (patterning) of stimulus elements. These properties determine whether an object will be judged as interesting or dull, pleasing or displeasing, beautiful or ugly. Is a person expects that altering the appearance of an object will make it more interesting or pleasing, an effort will be made to change its appearance even if it means resorting to socially disapproved methods such as vandalism • Second phase: During an act of destruction enjoyment derives primarily from the visual, auditory and tacticle-kinesthetic stimuli which arise during rapid transformation of an object. Greater enjoyment should be derived from destroying an object if the process of breakage is for example more complex, unexpected or novel • Third phase: after destruction, the static appearance of the object after destruction for example may be very interesting or pleasing. The patterning and organization of the object also importantly affects its post-destruction appearance.

10. Equity-Control Theory • Vandalism is most likely to occur under conditions of low perceived equity and low to moderate levels of perceived control. Persons perceiving high perceived control are likely to employ socially accepted means for restoring equity. Those with very low perceived control may well be rendered inactive or helpless, individuals with low to moderate perceived control however the person is less apt to believe he or she can restore equity through socially acceptable means and will look for a solutions that are immediate., low cost and difficult to thwart i.e. Vandalism

11. Equity-control theory is also a person-environment theory. In addition to equity and control characteristics of the perceiver or potential vandal, physical and social qualities of the perceiver’s ecology serve as moderator variables. • In a test of, Equity-control theory Demore et al. (1988) measured perceived equity, perceived control and vandalism among a sample of university students residing in dormitory. Results were shown to support the theories prediction as multiple regression analysis revealed higher frequency of vandalism by students perceiving both low equity and low control. • Video: Vandalism for a good cause

12. Vandalism Intervention strategies Changing the Physical and social environment • This deterministic perspective on vandalism control and reduction has appeared and reappeared under a variety of rubrics. The environment oriented strategies seek to alter the physical setting, context or situation in which vandalism might occur so that the potential or actual vandal`s opportunity to perpetrate such behaviour is reduced. This ecological strategy of altering the physical or social environment to prevent or reduce the occurrence of vandalism has been an especially popular choice, particularly in a society as technologically orientated as the United States. • Venues such as school districts, mass transit systems, museums, shopping malls, national and state parks and many others have time and again opted for target hardening access controlling, offender deflecting and surveillance increasing environment altering integration strategy as their first and often only means of defence against vandalism, • (Video Vandal Squad)

13. The target is the vandal himself or herself, Cohen (1974) suggested three such person oriented strategies • Education: here the effort is made to increase the potential vandal`s awareness of the costs and other consequences of vandalistic behaviour. These interventions assume that, once aware such persons will consider such possible consequences and choose to refrain from perpetrating vandalism • Deterrence and retribution: these strategies rely on threat, punishment or forcing those committing vandalistic acts to make restitution. Punishment strategies are especially widely employed. `some local authorities have suggested the evicting of tenants whose children are responsible for vandalism • Deflection: these strategies attempt o understand and redirect the motivational causes of vandalism into non-damaging means of expression. They include allowing controlled destruction, providing substitute targets or other alternative outlets for energetic activity • Video Youth Graffiti

14. Do you believe we need to change the Physical and social environment or is vandalism an individualistic crime?