Guest opinion Vandalism is for losers

Vandalism is the willful or malicious destruction or defacement of public or private property. Vandalism occurs all the time, night and day. Schools all over the world suffer the problem of vandalism— not only the poor countries and neighborhoods, but the rich ones as well. It can be seen on walls, alleys, freeways, concrete, restrooms, but most of all, at school.

Many link vandalism to stealing and drugs, rightly. It seems that vandals are among the things wrong with society, as are thieves and drug addicts. But what makes these schoolchildren cause such destruction?

In my mind, the five main motives for participating in vandalism are (1) anger/frustration—a student will make a hole in a wall because he is mad; (2) boredom— a student will make a hole in the wall because he is jaded; (3) erosion—a student finds a hole in the wall and makes it bigger; (4) aesthetics—a student will make a hole in the wall because of his emotions; and finally (5) catharsis—a student feels creative by making a hole in the wall.

There is always the show off factor where Jimmy tries to look “cool” by damaging other people’s property. His friends say, “Jimmy’s breaking property and he’s cool, maybe I’ll join him so that I can be cool.”

This kind of situation is awful, because it is very much like a virus, meaning one bad student can infect many others, and these clones can infect yet others. All of it is a big chain reaction. If nothing is done, the entire situation can really get out of hand.

There are several reasons why vandalism is bad. It is destructive and, in many cases, irreversible. Even when it is reversible, the cost of repair for the school can be considerably high and time consuming. When the school has to pay for the repairs with its tight budget, how will it afford extracurricular activities, such as sports or clubs? It won’t, and that is why vandalism must be stopped.

When the vandals get caught, there are many costs involved, such as the cost and time spent for the repairs—someone has to pay for them. If the vandals didn’t exist, the city would not need to hire as many police, leaving more money for the public schools. When the parents have to pay, they get angry, taking the anger out on their kids who then have to pay. There are costs at many levels.

How can vandalism be stopped and prevented? There are many ways to reduce and impede vandalism, but it is nearly impossible to block it completely. The use of properly-placed cameras can greatly reduce vandalism, provided they are in discreet locations; otherwise, they fall at risk of being tampered with.

Secondly, keeping the lights on at all times can help to scare off intruders.

Also, make sure there is a severe penalty for all vandalism.

Last and most importantly, it is crucial to teach children why vandalism is bad before they begin doing it. Children’s minds are like computers—they must be programmed first by teaching them the proper morals at an early age. Then they must be reprogrammed in case of a malfunction—the malfunction being the vandalism, and the reprogramming being the punishment.

In conclusion, no one should ever enter any property without the owner’s permission, and no one should ever tamper with or disfigure someone else’s property.

Agoura Hills resident Pascal Combes-Knoke, 15, is in 10th grade at Agoura High School and is a player on the school’s football and wrestling teams.