NCJ Number
72881
Date Published
1978
Length
0 pages
Annotation
Produced for students in grades three to nine, this film presents a dramatic reenactment of an actual case of vandalism from police accounts.
Abstract
The film is designed to prevent vandalism by persuading children that vandalistic acts are unattractive and destructive to themselves, as well as to others. The case portrayed involved a group of young boys who vandalized a home of a girl student while the girl and her mother attended the funeral of the girl's father. The film shows how an initial act of vandalism--destroying the girl's bicycle--gets out of control and leads to further acts--wanton destruction of property inside the house. The damage wrought by these boys is shown to be far more than material damage, since many of the objects destroyed held emotional meaning for the girl and her mother because they symbolized the deceased father. After one of the boys confides in a friend that he was involved in the destruction, the police are told. The police investigation shows the expertise of the police at breaking down lies, and dramatizes the high emotional, financial, and legal costs involved for the vandals and their parents. The vandals' parents are obligated to pay for the damage their sons committed. A leader's guide is included with the film.