Vandalism

by Ashley Bishop


Vandalism is the “willful or malicious damage to school grounds and buildings or furnishings and equipment. Specific examples include glass breakage, graffiti and general property destruction.” Vandalism can occur anywhere on school grounds, usually in areas hard to supervise (stairwells, bathrooms, etc.) but it can happen in your classroom too! Writing or scratching on desks or walls, leaving gum under the desk and tearing pages from books are all examples of classroom vandalism. Vandalism has both a monetary and social cost to the school.

Why do students vandalize?

According to the U.S. Department of Justice:

Many vandals have done poorly academically, and may have been truant, suspended, or expelled. As is typical of many adolescents, students who vandalize and break into schools have a poor understanding of their behavior's impact on others, and are more concerned with the consequences to themselves. Offenders are no more likely to be emotionally disturbed than their peers who do not engage in the behavior, nor are they any more critical of their classes, teachers, or school in general…students who lack full- time parental supervision during after-school hours have been found to be more involved in all types of delinquency than students whose parents are home when they return from school

While highly destructive incidents of vandalism and break-ins are typically committed by groups of students and may be motivated by money or an ideological “protest” against the school, classroom vandalism is usually a solitary act, most often motivated by boredom or vindictiveness (a desire to “get back” at teacher or another student.) Frustrated students who feel unnoticed or alienated by their peers or teachers are also more likely to vandalize.

How can I prevent vandalism in my classroom?

• Take care of your classroom! Levels of vandalism decrease noticeably when students see that others value the learning environment (and that their “work” doesn’t last!)
• Repair vandalized equipment as soon as possible to prevent “Erosion” of an already damaged object (like that small scratch in the wall that a bored student “picks at” until it becomes a large hole!)
• Give time to every student. You may not be able to speak to every student individually every day, but try to find time each week to let every student know you notice and care about them;
• Do not express hostile or authoritarian attitudes toward students. Instead, involve the students in the process of setting rules and consequences;
• Do not use grades as a disciplinary tool;
• Consistently and fairly enforce school rules.