Vandalism is deliberately breaking, damaging, or defacing somebody else’s property. It can be both upsetting and time-consuming to deal with, which can lead to frustration when we’re juggling busy work commitments.
There may be a number of reasons why someone has vandalised another’s property: it could be premeditated, or an unthinking, ‘spur of the moment’ act; it could be because of frustration or anger at a situation, or a desperate cry for help; and sometimes, vandalism can be a sign of boredom, or simply trying to make a mark on the world.
It can sometimes be very difficult to prove that a particular individual has damaged something unless we or someone else saw it take place. Unless we are completely sure, we run the risk of accusing the wrong person, so we have to be aware of our own biases and assumptions. Are we automatically assuming it’s one particular individual because of other behaviours they’ve engaged in previously?
Challenging or confronting an individual about vandalism in front of others, where they could risk losing face or feel embarrassed, can risk escalating the situation further. Communicating with them quietly at a time when we won’t be disturbed encourages them to share with us. We can ask open questions like, “I wonder if you could help me understand what happened?” An object of reference, pictures, and preferred communication aids can help to focus the conversation and remind them of what is being discussed.
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