Jeniece Nelson
PSYC 4020
Professor David Wiesenthal
Vandalism: What does it mean to
you in Toronto?
 More money out of your taxes?
 Its mean a new graffiti management unit has been created
by the municipal government of Toronto to manage what is
considered legal and acceptable forms of street art verses
what is considered tagging and vandalism. The municipal
government in cooperation with the police have created a
task force dedicated to the abolishment and authorization
of graffiti art.
 The graffiti plan management unit outlines the reasons
why this mission has become important to the city of
Toronto due to the negative effects the government believes
vandalism has on communities.
Negative Effects of Graffiti
Vandalism
 “Negative Effects of




Graffiti Vandalism:
Poses a risk to the health, safety and welfare of a community.
Promotes a perception in the community that laws protecting
public and private property can be disregarded with impunity.
Fosters a sense of disrespect for private property that may result
in increasing crime, community degradation and urban blight.
Creates a nuisance that can adversely affect property values,
business opportunities and the enjoyment of community life.”
 Url Link:
http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgnextoid=e667a37fa9922410
VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCRD&vgnextchannel=6b8d2412f4422410VgnVCM10
000071d60f89RCRD
Define the difference in Toronto
What is the psychology behind
vandalism?
 VERNON L. ALLEN is a Professor of Psychology at the
University of Wisconsin, Madison. DAVID B.
GREENBERGER is a graduate student in the social
psychology program at the University of Wisconsin,
Madison.
 These two did a scholarly journal on the psychology of
vandalism. In the journal the two speak on the pleasures of
destructive acts that individuals participating in vandalism
achieve. Vandalism is described in this journal as a complex
behavioral phenomenon and their focus was that of
vandalism performed by school children. This perspective
is described into a detailed explanation called “the
aesthetic theory of vandalism”. The sheer enjoyment of
destruction of an object that a person feels.

Allen, V. L., & Greenberger, D. B. (1978). An aesthetic theory of vandalism. Crime &
Delinquency, 24(3), 309-321. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.library.yorku.ca/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/616348309?accountid
=15182
Task force on vandalism
 The task force on vandalism in Ontario initiated the
concern of vandalism.
 They made a proposal by surveying and researching the
responses and responsibilities associated with the issue of
vandalism.
 In 1981 the task force made a descriptive report to the
attorney general of Ontario about vandalism and the
justice system in Ontario.
 The task force appointed a volunteer committee in order to
cut the costs of the research report and proposed these 8
variables of research in their report:
 Url Link: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/87335NCJRS.pdf
Task Force on Vandalism cont.
 1. To identify the nature and scope of vandalism in the Municipality of







Metropolitan Toronto and elsewhere in Ontario.
2. To determine whether the acts of vandalism and the costs occasioned
by those acts are increasing.
3. To compare the incidence and impact of vandalism in Ontario with
similar jurisdictions in Canada and elsewhere.
4. To investigate vandalism prevention programs in Ontario and in
other jurisdictions and to assess the effectiveness and appropriateness
of those programs.
5. To assess the role of the juvenile justice system and the criminal
justice system in dealing with the problem of vandalism.
6.To review the methods of vandalism prevention programs.
7. To receive written submissions from the public and consult with
persons if necessary concerning the issues in review.
8. To report and make recommendations to the attorney general on
programs and program evaluations that may be undertaken …and any
other actions that can be taken to reduce vandalism.
 Url Link: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/87335NCJRS.pdf
Causes of Vandalism Depicted in the
Report By the Task Force
 They believed the causes of vandalism stemmed from :
 Social decay
 Inadequate parenting
 Lenient courts
 Boredom
 Peer pressure
 Developmental factors
 Url Link: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/87335NCJRS.pdf
Responses to Vandalism
 Based on the study performed by the task force, when
asked whether vandalism was a problem in their
community was a problem:
 37% of the respondents in Toronto said it was
 56% outside of Toronto indicated that it was a problem
 67% of the respondents in Toronto believed it was an
increasing problem.
 (Based on 1981 report to the attorney general of
Ontario. )

https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/87335NCJRS.pdf
Movie Time
Your Opinion: Is Vandalism an Art
of Expression or a Crime?
References
 Task Force on Vandalism (Ontario), & Beaulieu, L. A.
(1981). Vandalism: Responses and responsibilities :
report of the Task Force on Vandalism. Toronto: The
Task Force.
 http://www1.toronto.ca/wps/portal/contentonly?vgne
xtoid=e667a37fa9922410VgnVCM10000071d60f89RCR
D&vgnextchannel=6b8d2412f4422410VgnVCM1000007
1d60f89RCRD
 https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/Digitization/87335
NCJRS.pdf