What Causes Vandalism and How to Stop It

Vandalism is everyone’s worst nightmare. You work so hard to keep your property looking presentable, only for someone or a group of people to come along and vandalize it. What exactly is vandalism, what causes it, and how can you prevent it from happening in the first place? 

What is Vandalism?

Vandalism is defined as destructing or damaging a property that defaces it and can therefore also result in the property decreasing in value. This can involve carving something, such as a person’s initials, writing a name with a marker pen, spray paint, breaking a window, or purposefully knocking items over and causing any damage to them. 

However, if it is you that owns the property and does some damage to it, this cannot be classed as vandalism. Even if you do not own the property, if you cause some damage to it that is accidental, this also cannot be classed as vandalism, just as long as you sort out the repairs to any damage you caused.

Vandalism involves physical damage to a property that is owned by someone else and is done intentionally. 

What Causes Vandalism?

Vandalism can be done due to a whole variety of reasons. It may be due to the person or group of people who are committing this crime wanting to do so for financial reasons, holding a personal grudge against the owner of the property, or frustration when protesting for a cause they believe in that they may believe the owner of the property or the overall business is against, or simply just to get some form of recognition by their peers for what they have done and to express themselves in some way. 

Sometimes a person may commit vandalism because the owner of the property may have done or said something that they did not like. Other times, they do it because it is nothing personal, but they are just looking for something to do.

Regardless of the reasons behind it, it is best for you to get the police involved immediately so they can try to find the person or people who did it, particularly if this vandalism is personal, as it may be something they continually do and not just a one-off. 

How Can You Prevent Vandalism?

Vandalism can be prevented in a number of different ways. The first is to have an anti-loitering alarm installed. This releases a high-pitched frequency that only younger people can hear, so if you believe younger people are the ones causing the vandalism, this may be the best way to go. This is one of the more common ways to stop vandalism and is something that may be worth investing in. 

Other ways for you to prevent vandalism is to get security cameras so you can see if anyone is loitering around your property or so the police can see who has vandalized it if your property does end up getting vandalized. You can also get security guards to patrol your property, either while you are not there or 24/7.

Regardless of what you decide, preventing vandalism is incredibly important and will save you a lot of hassle and money in the long run.