Preventing school vandalism and improving discipline: A three-year study.

08/01/2025 | PAXIS Institute |

School vandalism, a complex problem area of extreme social importance, is increasing in magnitude. Nationwide, over 5,000 assaults on teachers are reported each month, and over $500 million is spent each year to repair damage done by school-aged vandals (National Institute of Education, 1978). It was reported in a recent Los Angeles County School Attendance and Welfare Bulletin (Note 1) that in school districts throughout Los Angeles County the average vandalism costs were in excess of $8.5 million for the 1978–1979 school year, a 56% increase over the 1977–1978 school year. Additional indirect expenses are incurred by school districts for insurance, security guards, and other presumed deterrents to vandalism. These expenses appear to exceed the cost of repairing the effects of vandalism. The Los Angeles Unified School District’s Security Section, for example, had a budget of about $10 million for personnel salaries alone, an increase of nearly $4 million since 1978

Citation: Mayer GR, Butterworth T, Nafpaktitis M, & Sulzer-Azaroff B. 1983. Preventing school vandalism and improving discipline: A three-year study. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 164, 355.

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