SINCE THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE SYSTEMATIC WORK ON VANDALISM IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THIS DISCUSSION IS LARGELY ILLUSTRATIVE RATHER THAN EMPIRICAL. VANDALISM IS DEFINED AS 'WILLFUL DAMAGE TO PUBLIC OR PRIVATE PROPERTY AND AMENITIES.' OF ALL OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE POLICE, VANDALISM HAS SHOWN THE GREATEST INCREASE IN RECENT YEARS. HOWEVER, A LACK OF STATISTICS AND AN ABSENCE OF UNIFORMITY IN THE STATISTICS THAT DO EXIST PREVENT AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST OF VANDALISM THROUGHOUT THE UNITED KINGDOM. THERE WAS AN ESTIMATED 15 MILLION POUNDS ANNUAL BILL FOR DAMAGE TO SCHOOL PROPERTY IN 1977 AND BETWEEN 3 AND 5 MILLION POUNDS FOR DAMAGE TO BRITISH RAIL PROPERTY IN THE SAME YEAR. IN A RECENT PUBLIC SURVEY REGARDING CITIZENS' PERCEPTIONS OF THE CAUSES OF VANDALISM, RESPONDENTS MOST OFTEN BLAMED OFFENDERS' PARENTS. POLICE STATISTICS SHOW THAT THE PERSISTENT VANDAL IS MORE LIKELY THAN OTHER VANDALS TO COMMIT OFFENSES OF OTHER SORTS (ESPECIALLY BURGLARY OR THEFT). HE IS ALSO MORE LIKELY TO COME FROM A BROKEN HOME, AND HE IS PRONE TO DISLIKE SCHOOL WHERE HE DOES NOT PERFORM WELL. RESULTS FROM ONE NATIONAL SURVEY SHOW THAT INNER-URBAN AREAS SUFFER MOST FROM VANDALISM; MOST DAMAGE HERE IS DONE TO PUBLIC RATHER THAN PRIVATE PROPERTY. SOME LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND POLICE FORCES REPORT SUCCESSES IN DEALING WITH VANDALISM. THE MOST EFFECTIVE MEASURES CAN BE CATEGORIZED AS PHYSICAL (DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT POLICIES) AND DIVERSIONARY (ENCOURAGEMENT OF ALTERNATIVE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUTH). THE APPENDIXES PROVIDE SOME CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL COUNTERVANDALISM PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH SOME SUGGESTED DESIGN FEATURES TO THWART VANDALS. GRAPHIC AND TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)