Research Paper

Alan Nguyen

Mr. Rehak

English II

19 March 2013

            Graffiti markings predate back to ancient Egypt, Greece, and the Roman Empire in which they are mainly used for religious or cultural purposes. Throughout time, the uses of graffiti have gradually become a sign of vandalism, creating multiple problematic issues. The use of graffiti art in major cities of Western Hemisphere should continue to be prohibited and more strictly enforced because it creates problems ranging from economic issues to mind alteration.

            While artists provide reasons to support the usage of graffiti, it still remains debatable. Since the 1980s, the use of graffiti has been a big controversy, with supporters viewing the art as a form of emotional expression, and antagonists arguing that it produces economic, youth, and environmental problems. Those who view writings on walls as art have little evidence to support their argument. Dr. Fiona Campbell, a researcher from Britain’s Environmental Campaign, conducted a research study on graffiti and stated, “[G]raffiti stencils of the type used by Banksy are found at only 1% of sites [in England]” (Campbell). Only 1% of all graffiti are considered acceptable as opposed to the rest of the 99%, making it difficult for supporters to validate its purpose as art. Multiple cities in the United States of America have developed graffiti removal and protection programs as the exercises of graffiti increases throughout the years. Although graffiti uses multiplied, cities have increased their effort to counter the situation. For example, the Development Services Department of the City of San Antonio has produced a phone application that easily reports graffiti. Therefore, citizens of San Antonio can send real time information and photos to the department (City of San Antonio).

1.      Psychological Effects

1.1 Youth’s Minds

Ever since graffiti has been introduced into urban societies, many childrens’ minds have been altered. According to Graffiti 911, a nonprofit organization that educates the population about graffiti, “The impact of graffiti on a young life is often the strongest and harder to repair” (“Graffiti911”). As children start to interpret these images, they develop generalizations on humanity. As they age, these mindsets are embedded, making it difficult to change their concept on societies. Taggers and vandals tend to create graffiti with negative messages towards minorities such as “fear of identification and betrayal, the majority abuse alcohol and drugs, [and] the practice of stealing” (“Graffiti911”). These delinquents often use the practice of “racking” paint, which is a general crime of illegally selling spray cans for graffiti, thus promoting the idea of stealing to the youth’s minds.

1.2 General Population’s Minds

            Not only does it affect the minds of the youth, graffiti generates psychological effects for the general population. The more apparent graffiti is in a neighborhood, the more likely people will feel that the law is not bounded to their neighborhood in which it brings order. In the article Criminal graffiti is not art… it is a CRIME! by the City of Eugene, Oregon, it stated “Criminal graffiti makes people feel that the neighborhood is being lost to gangs and lawlessness” (“Criminal Graffiti Is Not Art”). People outside these neighborhoods view this as a sign of lack of concern of appearance. This is also a form of urban decay as graffiti increases (“Criminal Graffiti Is Not Art”).

2.      Economic Effects

2.1 Business Gentrification

With the multitude of graffiti, the economic results of it are immense. They vary from house owning problems to using city incomes to remove these graffiti. Businesses reckon this type of vandalism as a factor that debases their income. In The Scoop on Vandalism by the Sacramento County Sheriff, it states, “Some businesses are forced to move to different neighborhoods, taking a good shopping out of your community” (“The Scoop on Vandalism”). This is an example of gentrification, where businesses and people move to other societies as a result of sociocultural changes. In the long term, this will cause the neighborhood to slowly decrease their quality of life as economic agents decrease. Overall, graffiti creates multiple issues relating to the economy of a city or a neighborhood.

2.2 Homeowners’ Issues

 Homeowners also endure a blow from graffiti, as realtors also lose their businesses. With the increase of graffiti uses, homes are beginning to become targets for them. California Realtors Association provides facts to Graffiti911, “With the median home price in California at the time being $522,590 you are talking about an impact to a property owner of nearly a $100,000” (“Graffiti911”). While applying graffiti to homes cost only mere dollars, the bigger picture is that home values decrease tremendously.  Current homeowners find it difficult to move to other homes as “[the] purchase prices for homes decreased 20% in areas that are victimized by graffiti vandalism” (“Graffiti911”). Graffiti does not only change the appearance of homes, it changes their values.

2.3  Statistics Involving Costs

            While graffiti affects individuals in a neighborhood, the local counties and cities take a hit as they end up with the removal costs. Sheriff’s Office of Washington County, Oregon, indicated that “[T]hey spend approximately $2 million dollars per year to clean up graffiti in their city.” (“Graffiti Hurts Program”). This only accounted for a small county in the state Oregon, while larger cities experienced much more devastating costs. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, an organization funded by United States Department of Justice and Office of Justice Programs, they stated “In 2003 the city of Los Angeles spent $55 million on graffiti removal” (“Facts and Figures”). The apparent difference of costs between the Washington County of Oregon and the city of Los Angeles is immense. With Los Angeles being the second largest city in the United States in terms of population, there are other large cities that have similar numbers, such as New York and Chicago. According to the National Center of Problem Oriented Policing, “The cost of graffiti vandalism nationally is estimated to be more than $15 billion dollars” (“Impacts of Graffiti”). Totaling up to more than 15 million dollar, graffiti takes a large shipping out of government funds.

3.      Environmental Effects

In recent years, taggers have started to change their targets for graffiti, resulting in changes of the natural environment. As removal and prevention programs have become readily available to counter these vandalisms, artists seek for areas in their graffiti will withstand, such as elevated grounds. One intriguing area of target is trees. Using trees as hotspots for graffiti adds another issue, which is removing it. Dan Flanagan, executive director of Friends of the Urban Forest, questioned the general population of taggers, “What do you do to clean up a tree without messing it up?” (James).  Finding solutions to removing graffiti on trees without causing harm to the tree itself is strenuous. Though easier to remove from trees than buildings with the help of soap and water, it later prevents trees to complete their exchange of gases. Not only does graffiti affecst existing trees, it destroys those being planted. “[C]ity’s unusually foggy climate and other factors (including vandalism) kill 20 percent of newly planted trees.” (James). Newer trees have a lesser tolerance to the chemicals that spray cans contain, thus killing them off (Frabetti). Increasing uses means the decreasing of tree populations.

4.      Counterargument

Even though graffiti is widely opposed, artists have reasoning that graffiti should be legalized. Some graffiti, like community art, provide positively motivated messages to the public. “They could also provide a creative outlet and be used to communicate messages about important issues such as road safety,” stated Dr. Fiona Campbell (Campbell). Rather than calling them graffiti, the correct term for these type of wall art is murals. Also, artists consider their masterpieces as form of expression. Though true, this is still debatable due to the fact that only 1% of all graffiti fall under this category. (Campbell).

Local environments, young minds, and the economy of the Western Hemisphere all experienced a negative impact as a result of graffiti. For some, graffiti is a source to express their emotions, but for others, it is a way to vandalize various places. Graffiti comes in many forms and is done by many different people around the world. Although it may be positively useful to some people, graffiti has caused multiple problems throughout history. Graffiti is a type of art that some people have to resort to, however it should be enforced in major cities of the Western Hemisphere, forever, and new ways of expressing feelings should be considered.

Works Cited

Campbell, Fiona. "Good Graffiti, Bad Graffiti? A New Approach to an Old Problem." Keepbritaintidy.org. ENCAMS, Sept. 2009. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.keepbritaintidy.org/ImgLibrary/graffiti_report_647.pdf>.

"Criminal Graffiti Is Not Art... It Is a CRIME!" Eugene-or.gov. City of Eugene Oregon, Nov.      2007. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.eugene-or.gov/DocumentCenter/Home/View/3613>.

Frabetti, A. C. "Reciprocity between Graffiti Vandalism and Its Virtual Documentation." Gnovisjournal.org. Disqus, 21 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://gnovisjournal.org/2011/11/21/a-c-frabetti-journal/>.

"Graffiti." Sanantonio.gov. City of San Antonio, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.sanantonio.gov/ces/graffiti.aspx>.

"Graffiti Facts and Figures." Ncpc.org. National Crime Prevention Council, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.ncpc.org/programs/catalyst-newsletter/catalyst-newsletter/archives/february-2005-catalyst/graffiti-facts-and-figures>.

"Graffiti Facts: Graffiti911." Graffiti911.com. Graffiti911, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.graffiti911.com/costs.php>.

"Graffiti Hurts Program." Co.washington.or.us. Washington County Sheriff, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.co.washington.or.us/Sheriff/OtherServices/GangsGraffiti/graffiti-hurts-program.cfm>.

"Impacts of Graffiti." Jacksonholepolice.com. Jackson Police Department, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2013. <http://www.jacksonholepolice.com/graffiti.html>.

            James, Scott. "THE BAY CITIZEN; Graffiti Taggers Turn to Trees, With Some Possibly Harmful Effects." The New York Times. The New York Times, 18 Nov. 2011. Web. 27      Feb. 2013. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/18/us/graffiti-taggers-turn-to-trees-with-           some-possibly-harmful-effects.html?_r=0>.

"The Scoop on Vandalism." Sacsheriff.com. Sacramento Sheriff Department, n.d. Web. 27 Feb.    2013. <http://www.sacsheriff.com/crime_prevention/documents/juvenile_crimes_01.cfm>.