THERE IS NO BRITISH LEGAL OFFENSE OF 'VANDALISM', YET THE TERM HAS COME TO MEAN UNNECESSARY AND WILLFUL DAMAGE COMMITTED IN RESPECT OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY WITHOUT ANY CLEAR ADVANTAGE ACCRUING TO ANYONE. THE TYPES OF VANDALISM DESCRIBED, WITH EXAMPLES GIVEN, ARE: ACQUISITIVE, TACTICAL, IDEOLOGICAL, VINDICTIVE, PLAYFUL AND MALICIOUS. STUDIES CARRIED OUT IN THE UNITED STATES AND BRITAIN SUGGEST THAT MOST MALICIOUS VANDALISM IS GENERALLY COMMITTED BY GROUPS, BY THOSE FROM POOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS, AND FROM FAMILIES WHERE THERE ARE POOR FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS. THE GROUP MAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR VANDALISM IS CHILDREN AGED 10 TO 16 YEARS, WITH MOST PERFORMED BY BOYS AGED 14 TO 16 YEARS. OTHERS SEE VANDALISM AS A SYMPTOM OF DEEP MALAISE AND EMOTIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL DEPRIVATION. THE DIFFICULTIES IN DESCRIBING THE COSTS OF VANDALISM ARE DESCRIBED, WITH THE CONCLUSION THAT COSTS FOR 1978 MAY WELL RUN INTO EIGHT FIGURES. LOCAL AUTHORITIES PROBABLY BEAR THE HEAVIEST BURDEN OF THE FINANCIAL COST, BUT THE SOCIAL COSTS ARE DIFFICULT TO ESTIMATE. FOUR MAIN APPROACHES TO PREVENTION AND CONTROL ARE OUTLINED, RANGING FROM WRITING OFF THE DAMAGE AS INEVITABLE TO FINDING WAYS TO MAKE THE PUBLIC MORE AWARE OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM. SPECIFIC IDEAS INCLUDE RESEARCH ON THE MOTIVATION FOR VANDALISM, A COORDINATED GOVERNMENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST IT, AND WIDER USE OF VANDAL-RESISTANT MATERIALS. OTHER SPECIFIC MEASURES AGAINST VANDALISM ARE LISTED FOR ESTATES AND DWELLINGS, SCHOOLS, STREET LIGHTING, STREET FURNITURE, PARKS, AND BUSES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY COMPLETES THE TEXT. (RFC)