Bathroom vandalism is not uncommon among American schools. It’s often a result of boredom, ill will, or an easy avenue to share a message.
It’s not very often that the intent of vandalism is positive. It is more likely to be used to share non-school appropriate messages. Most students agree that negative remarks shared through vandalism should not be featured in school bathrooms.
But some believe the positive messages should be allowed to stay. Although this seems like a great idea in theory, there are too many logistical issues and it is not realistic for the school.
One big issue is that by allowing vandalism in any way, the school would be supporting the act, which could be considered a felony.
According to the Kann California Law Group, if an act of vandalism causes at $400 worth of damages, the vandal may be charged with a felony. An act of vandalism that causes damage worth less than $400 dollars could result in the vandal being charged with a misdemeanor.
Another question that must be asked is where does it end? Once vandalism in bathrooms is acceptable at Cal, it is bound to spread to other school areas.
We also must consider the increased difficulty for school custodians who are responsible for the cleaning and removal of vandalism in the bathrooms. Along with the long list of responsibilities they already bear, custodians would now have to sort through the different types of vandalism and determine which messages need to be removed and which are appropriate to be kept.
High school is an important time in adolescents’ lives that is meant to prepare them for the real world. If vandalism is supported in school, this may give students the false impression that vandalism is tolerated outside of school.
According to an article by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Psychological on the Psychological Analysis of Vandalism, vandalism in the United States has many negative effects on society and is mainly fueled by malicious greed, frustration, or misguided playfulness.
School bathrooms are already a hub for fights and other misbehavior, including the misuse of soap dispensers, sinks and toilets. Allowing any form of vandalism will only further support this behavior and cause the bathroom to become a more hostile environment.
Students deserve to be able to use the bathroom in peace. Any sort of vandalism gets in the way of learning not only as a distraction but also as a financial burden which will draw funding from better avenues of creativity.
