Mindless vandalism strikes again. The pinfold has suffered at the hands of people who show little regard or care for the people or property around them.
But why people vandalise things?
Two of the reasons given are boredom and poor social background. To most of us these seem like weak excuses on the surface. Boredom seems a poor excuse for committing vandalism as many young people get bored at some time and they don't feel the need to go out and cause trouble for other people.
Much depends on the home life and the example set by parents and peer groups. If parental attitudes are lapse and home life is what we might term dysfunctional then children easily follow a set example. However many children from so-called 'good' homes still act in a way which caused distress to others.
Some youngsters are trying to prove themselves in front of their friends and others are trying to attract attention for all the wrong reasons. Some children are very unhappy at home and they release their frustrations and unhappiness in a variety of unpleasant ways.
One way to reduce the levels of vandalism and nuisance is to give youngsters positive things to focus on. In deprived urban areas, lack of space, opportunities, poor education and a feeling of no-hope for the future all add to the problem. There's really no excuse for some of the acts people commit but if the rest of society and the government realise the underlying causes of the problems then there is a hope that the situation can improve.
The bottom line is homelife and that needs improving for many young people who offend in this way.
Phil
