NCJ Number
58929
Date Published
1979
Length
18 pages
Annotation
GRAFFITI AND CRIMINAL AGGRESSION ARE STUDIED IN TERMS OF ARCHAIC NARCISSISM, I.E., THE PHENOMENON OF NARCISSISTIC RAGE, WITH ATTENTION GIVEN TO CULTURAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INFLUENCES ON CRIME.
Abstract
GRAFFITI ARE THE EXPRESSION OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE PRODUCER'S PERSONALITY (OFTEN FEELINGS OF AGGRESSION) AND ARE EXHIBITIONISTIC. SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS INFLUENCE THE PRODUCTION OF GRAFFITI. IN HIGH-CRIME AND HIGH-VIOLENCE LOCALITIES, GRAFFITI REFLECTS A PREOCCUPATION WITH VIOLENCE AS A WAY OF LIFE AND WITH THE ISSUE OF CONTROL. WORKING AND LOWER-CLASS ADOLESCENTS TEND TO EXPRESS BOTH HOSTILE AND SEXUAL THEMES MORE OFTEN THAN MIDDLE-CLASS ADOLESCENTS. CHICANOS AND OTHER PERSONS OF LATIN DESCENT HAVE A PROPENSITY TO PRODUCE GRAFFITI. UNDERSTANDING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE CHICAGO PERSONALITY, PARTICULARLY THOSE ASPECTS RELATED TO FEELINGS OF EXCLUSION, RESENTMENT, AND DESIRE FOR REVENGE, CAN BE HELPFUL IN BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN MAJORITY CULTURES AND INSTITUTIONS AND CHICANOS. TO THE EXTENT GRAFFITI ARE LINKED TO SPECIFIC PERSONALITY DISTURBANCES THAT LEND THEMSELVES TO CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, THE STUDY OF DEVELOPMENTAL, CULTURAL, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DETERMINANTS REPRESENTS A STUDY OF THE CORRELATES OF CRIME. A STUDY IS PROPOSED TO COMPARE THE PRODUCTION OF GRAFFITI BY CHICANOS AND ANGLOS. IF PRODUCING GRAFFITI IS FOUND TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED TO CRIME AND DELINQUENCY OR CAN BE SHOWN TO BE AN INTERMEDIATE STEP IN THE ESCALATION OF GANG-RELATED CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR, TWO LEVELS OF POSSIBLE PREVENTIVE INTERVENTION ARE SUGGESTED: (1) DEVELOPMENTAL AND EDUCATIONAL (PRIMARY PREVENTION); AND (2) CORRECTIVE (SECONDARY PREVENTION). REFERENCES AND AN ESTIMATE OF THE COST INVOLVED IN CONDUCTING THE PROPOSED STUDY ARE INCLUDED. (DEP)