Vandalism

Have you ever seen a street sign that was painted over, a picnic table with someone’s name carved on it, or a library book with pages torn out of it? Have you ever done any of those things? Doing these things is called vandalism. It’s when someone breaks or damages someone else’s property.
There are reasons why you shouldn’t vandalize property and things you can do if you see vandalism. Remember, you shouldn’t vandalize because

-People feel angry, hurt, and sometimes frightened when something of theirs is destroyed for no reason.
-Schools pay millions of dollars each year to clean up graffiti. Graffiti is paintings and drawings on walls, lockers, and other property. That’s money that could be used to buy computers, sports equipment, and books.
-Graffiti gives criminals the impression that people don’t care about their neighborhoods, which can make the neighborhoods unsafe.
-Vandalizing a street sign can cause problems other than the damaged sign. Drivers could get lost or be in a car accident because they didn’t see the sign.
If you see graffiti, destroyed street signs or library books, or other kinds of vandalism, tell an adult. If you see someone vandalizing something, tell him/her not to do it.