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Vandalism - Responses and Responsibilities Report of the Task Force on Vandalism

NCJ Number
87335
Date Published
1981
Length
497 pages
Annotation
This study analyzed vandalism in metropolitan Toronto and other Ontario communities, devising recommendations for reducing or eliminating the problem.
Abstract
Each community must first determine the exact nature of its vandalism problem (what the acts are, when they occur, and who is involved) and whether intervention is warranted. A community should consider three levels of intervention: target hardening of specific problem sites, creating acceptable alternative activities for potential vandals, and establishing programs aimed at changing young persons' attitudes toward unlawful behavior. Each intervention program must be carefully designed to meet a community's specific vandalism problem. Planners must carefully assess the proposed program's economic and social costs and benefits; long-term community support is vital to a program's success. The final step is to design an evaluation strategy, including comparisons with other communities. The report also discusses theories about the causes of vandalism, describes some anti-vandalism programs and legal remedies in Ontario, and examines suggested options for resolving the problem. Study instruments and data from this and previous studies are appended, with a bibliography of 573 works and an author index. About 50 additional references are included.