Vandalism​—Why?

“I HAVE nothing to say.” These words were written in huge letters on a newly painted wall in a pleasant neighborhood of São Paulo. An act of vandalism, you might think. And graffiti is just one kind of vandalism.

Imagine that irresponsible vandals have damaged your new car. Or you may note that public property​—useful to many—​has been damaged or destroyed by vandals. Why? Yes, why? Have you ever wondered why acts of vandalism abound? In many places, vandals seem to find delight in defacing or ruining telephone booths. Public transport, such as trains or buses, is often a target. Seemingly, vandals do not care about anything. But what is behind much of the vandalism that we see or suffer from?

Marco,a a youth from Rio de Janeiro, became frustrated after his team lost a soccer game​—so frustrated that he began throwing stones at a bus loaded with fans of the winning team. Or consider Claus. When he did not do well in school, he became so enraged that he hurled stones and broke windows. However, the “fun” evaporated when his father was asked to pay for the damage. Another youth, Erwin, was studying in school and working. He and his peers were seen as nice youths. Yet, their pastime was to vandalize the neighborhood. Erwin’s parents knew nothing about that. Valter was an orphan who had little choice but to make the streets of São Paulo his home. His best friends were a gang of vandals, and he went along with them and also learned martial arts. Such examples show that there are faces behind vandalism, and the trigger for, or emotions involved in, vandalism vary.

“Vandalism may be an act of revenge or a way of expressing a political opinion. Both young people and adults sometimes commit the crime just for ‘fun,’” says The World Book Encyclopedia. However, rather than being just youthful fun, vandalism can be seriously destructive, even deadly. A group of youths wanted to “have some fun,” and when they saw a man asleep, they doused him with a flammable liquid and set him on fire. The victim, an Indian, later died in the hospital. According to a report, “the young men allegedly said they did not think anyone would care as several beggars had been burned on the street, and no action had been taken.” Whether vandalism seems victimless or not, the cost, financial and emotional, is incalculable. So, what can control or end vandalism?

Who Can Stop Vandalism?

Can the police and the schools prevent vandalism? One problem is that the authorities may be occupied with more serious crimes, such as drug trafficking or murder cases, rather than with “victimless” offenses. According to one police officer, when a youth gets in trouble, the parents often “blame the kids he hangs out with, or the school, or the police for catching him.” Education and law enforcement may reduce vandalism; yet, what if parental attitudes do not change? One juvenile-probation officer says: “It’s boredom and opportunity. [The children are] out late, and they have nothing to do. And they’re probably not supervised​—otherwise they wouldn’t be out.”

Although vandalism is a serious problem in many places, consider how things might be reversed. The young vandals mentioned in the beginning changed; now they completely avoid antisocial behavior. What made these former delinquents change their life-style? Also, would you be surprised if vandalism were to be not only reduced but eliminated? We invite you to read the next article.

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