RESIDENCE VANDALISM - DOCUMENTATION FROM A CONFERENCE SPONSORED BY THE SWEDISH CRIME PREVENTION COUNCIL AND BY THE RENTOR'S ASSOCIATION IN GREATER STOCKHOLM, NOVEMBER 21, 1978

• NCJ Number: 63517
• Author(s): ANONYMOUS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 56 pages
• Corporate Author: Brottsforebyggande Radet
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; Brottsforebyggande Radet
• Country: Sweden

Annotation

PROCEEDINGS FROM A CONFERENCE ON RESIDENCE VANDALISM INCLUDE PAPERS ON THE INCIDENCE OF VANDALISM IN SWEDEN AND STOCKHOLM, THE POSSIBLE SOCIAL CAUSES, AND PREVENTION MEASURES. YUGOSLAVIA'S SYSTEM OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT IS DISCUSSED AS A SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY FOR STIMULATING COMMUNAL ACTIVITY IN CRIME PREVENTION.

Abstract

ALTHOUGH OFFICIAL STATISTICS ARE INACCURATE BECAUSE OF UNDERREPORTING, FIGURES SHOW THAT NEARLY 58,000 INCIDENCES OF VANDALISM OCCURRED IN STOCKHOLM IN 1977 AT A COST OF ABOUT 100 MILLION CROWNS. THIS DRAMATIC INCREASE SINCE 1950 CAN BE THE RESULT OF SEVERAL FACTORS -- URBANIZATION, A LENGTHENED CHILDHOOD IN WHICH CHILDREN ARE DEPENDENT ON THEIR PARENTS UP TO THEIR LATE TEENS, AND A WEAKENING IN INFORMAL SYSTEMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL. IN ADDITION, RENTERS AND HOMEOWNERS HAVE NOT BEEN ORGANIZED AND HAVE THUS BEEN UNABLE TO INFLUENCE THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF HOUSING AND PUBLIC AREAS. FURTHERMORE, A GROWING ACCEPTANCE OF SEGREGATION OF FOREIGN RESIDENTS, LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, AND OTHER SOCIAL OUTCASTS HAS CREATED A MORE VOLATILE CLIMATE FOR VIOLENCE AND HAS INCREASED COMMUNITY ISOLATION. YUGOSLAVIA, A COUNTRY WHICH EXPERIENCED LARGE-SCALE INDUSTRIALIZATION AND CHANGE SINCE WORLD WAR II, HAS A STRONG SYSTEM OF LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT. BUSINESS AND BLUE COLLAR WORKERS HAVE BEEN ORGANIZED ON THE COMPANY LEVEL SINCE 1950, WITH THESE EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS HAVING CONTROL OVER SUCH ISSUES AS COMPANIES' INVESTMENTS, WORKING CONDITIONS, AND SALARIES. THESE WORKER ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HELPED TO CREATE COMMUNAL ORGANIZATIONS. THUS WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE ECONOMIC SECTOR, COMMUNAL ORGANIZATIONS HAVE GREAT INFLUENCE OVER CONSTRUCTION, URBAN RENEWAL, RENT COSTS, AND LOCAL SERVICES. SMALL ADVISORY COMMITTEES EXIST FOR ALL HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS OVER A CERTAIN SIZE. THIS SYSTEM OF COLLECTIVE ORGANIZATION GIVES ALL RESIDENTS A REAL INFLUENCE AND A FEELING OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE COMMUNITY, AND THIS IS WHAT EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY CRIME PREVENTION REQUIRES. OTHER PAPERS DISCUSS PREVENTION TACTICS SUCH AS REQUIRING PARENTS PAY FOR DAMAGE CHILDREN CAUSE AS A MEANS OF INCREASING PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, INSTITUTING BLOCK POLICE PATROLS, NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZED WATCHES, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF YOUTH ACTIVITY LOCALES OVER WHICH YOUTHS THEMSELVES HAVE CONTROL.