TYPES OF VANDALISM ACCORDING TO UNDERLYING MOTIVES INCLUDE VANDALISM IN THE COURSE OF PROPERTY THEFT, TACTICAL VANDALISM TO CAUSE A PARTICULAR REACTION BY THE PUBLIC OR THE AUTHORITIES, IDEOLOGICAL VANDALISM BY TERRORIST GROUPS, AND DESTRUCTION FOR REVENGE, AS A GAME, OR AS AN EXPRESSION OF FRUSTRATION. CAUSES LIE IN SOCIAL CONDITIONS SUCH AS MARKED CLASS DIFFERENCES AND THE HOPELESS SITUATION OF THE LOWER CLASSES. 'SENSELESS' VANDALISM IS THE PSYCHOLOGICAL REACTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL WHO FEELS THAT HE IS AN OUTSIDER AND WHO WISHES TO VIOLATE A SOCIAL TABU AND EXHIBIT POWER OVER OTHERS. AN EXPERIMENT UNDERTAKEN IN THE U.S. WITH TWO ABANDONED AUTOMOBILES SHOWS THAT WELL-GROOMED, MIDDLE-CLASS, WHITE ADULTS RATHER THAN JUVENILES, MOST FREQUENTLY IN BIG CITIES LIKE NEW YORK, WILL STRIP AN AUTOMOBILE DOWN TO THE FRAME. A LATENT DANGER OF VANDALISM IS CLEARLY PRESENT IN THE GENERAL POPULATION, AND DESTRUCTIVE ACTS CAN BE TRIGGERED BY ANONYMOUS SITUATIONS, STIMULI SUCH AS SUGGESTIVE OBJECTS (HAMMERS) OR MODELS FOR AGGRESSION (MOBS), AND AN EMOTIONALLY EXCITED CONDITION. LIVING SITUATIONS IN WHICH JUVENILES HAVE NO OPPORTUNITY TO WORK OFF THEIR ENERGY CAN ALSO PROMPT THEM TO RESORT TO ACTIVE DESTRUCTION; IT HAS BEEN VERIFIED THAT PROVISION OF PLAYGROUNDS, KINDERGARTENS, YOUTH CENTERS, AND SPORTS PROGRAMS LEAD TO REDUCED RATES OF JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, ESPECIALLY IN SLUMS. REMOVAL OF OBJECTS WHICH SUGGEST VIOLENCE AND STIMULATE AGGRESSION, SUCH AS FILMS OR COMIC BOOKS, AS WELL AS TRAINING IN HOW TO RESOLVE CONFLICTS AND TO TOLERATE FRUSTRATION ARE RECOMMENDED FOR CONTROLLING VANDALISM. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS PROVIDED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)