The Graffiti Eaters Approach to
Graffiti Control Theory on GRAFFITI Vandals 26th of June 2006
Some Basic Statistics
Source Queensland Police
Most likely age of graffitist 15 to 24:- few over 30.
Most likely sex is male 85% only 15% female.
Increase over the last 25 years at 7% per year.
What is the route cause of Vandalism and Graffiti?
Source Rodney Mackenzie Business Development Manager: -
Rod has spent 17 years working in the reduction of graffiti. The problem is Testosterone - the male hormone This is a concept that you may find hard to agree with but give it some thought as it may be the answer to how you control Graffiti. Graffiti is similar to any other form of vandalism and can be associated with other forms of anti social behaviour, Street racing and Burnouts in cars. The rout cause is the same. Testosterone!
We need to go back to the days when males were the providers (hunters) and females the carers. To day most males enjoy the excitement of the hunt. For some it is fishing others shooting and for some chasing wild women.
Most males love the excitement of the adrenalin rush, which is nature's way of increasing performance and protecting them. Adrenalin in the blood increases the senses and performance by increasing the heart rate and hence the blood to the mussels and brain. Is it coincidental that the average age of graffitist is 15 to 24?
Around the Age of 15 (puberty) the Testosterone builds up in the male until around the age of 24 when it levels off and starts to reduce over the following years. 85% of Graffitists are male only 15% are female and females do have low levels of testosterone.
Most graffiti committed by females is in association with males. It does not give most females a thrill, in fact they wonder why males would bother to do graffiti. The fact is some graffitist get excitement from the risk of being caught. The majority derive success from the recognition of their tag bragging rights and the number of tags they can get up.
They are out there trying to prove themselves to society as individuals trying to be different and noticed. While this is a theory and it is dangerous to generalise it all makes good sense. The public outrage increases their enjoyment and encourages them to do more. We know that as part of the graffiti adventure some graffitist do things with increased risk like train surfing and tagging very dangerous places like roofs of moving trains, bridge faces over road ways and signs high in the air.
There are many different forms of graffiti from the idle writing on a school desk and messages left on toilet walls right up to the hardcore political statement graffiti. These are all the result of different motivations. When we look at the testosterone theory we are looking at the chemistry that causes us to react in a predetermined way, for most young people they do not understand why they feel the way they do. So what does this tell us?
The testosterone theory tells us that we will never eradicate graffiti and that we should concentrate on managing and reducing graffiti incidences. How then do we reduce Graffiti? Apprehension and police intervention The aspect of apprehension and charging through the courts very rarely happens. There are penalties in place in some states and fines of $1500 fines or three years maximum jail. Courts rarely impose high penalties in some cases because they see repeat offenders turning to other crime like theft to pay fines. Police are then encouraged to use diversionary programs to take graffiti offenders off the streets.