<blockquote>
<p>Teens who get involved in graffiti <strong>'tagging' may be showing early
symptoms of a personality disorder</strong>, an Australian psychiatrist says.</p>
<p>He says the study, presented at an international child and adolescent mental health conference in Melbourne this week, found that <strong>teens who graffiti &quot;are significantly different to those who do not graffiti&quot;</strong>.</p>
<p>&quot;These young people ... were <strong>very antisocial</strong> on a range of other factors. They weren't just mildly conduct disordered, they were s<strong>coring to the extreme range of antisocial behaviour.</strong>&quot;</p>
<p>He says the study found adolescent graffitists had done around six to eight other acts, such as setting fires, beating people up and stealing.</p>
<p>&quot;You can pick many of these young people somewhere around the age of three,&quot; he says.</p>
<p>&quot;The average kindergarten teacher will tell you, I don't like that child, I can't work with them, they spit at me, they spit at the other kids, they hit people, they won't learn.</p>
<p>&quot;You can certainly predict which ones will go on to antisocial behaviour, and within that graffiti is going to be one of the things that stands out.&quot;</p>
<p>Martin says <strong>tagging conveys a number of messages</strong>, from saying &quot;hello, I'm here&quot; to being a territorial marker and an expression of rage against authority.
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/09/13/1737822.htm" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/09/13/1737822.htm</a></p>
</blockquote>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-03-03T10:17:45.263Z
2015-03-03T10:17:45.263Z
2020-06-17T09:55:31.633Z
Berit Larsen
<p>What's the psychology behind grafittit?</p>

<p>What mentality do graffiti vandals have?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-27T20:05:41.880Z
I don't know the psychology, but from what I've seen, graffiti seems to happen most often in the ugliest of places. Perhaps there something about the location's lack of upkeep, or state of abandonment, that inspires the act. We also had a gang tagging incident, at a church, down the street on the night we held a rave - the first one ever - at a ballroom. Perhaps there is something about ownership of the area or feeling invaded.
brookdancer
<social-psychology>
Psychology: Grafitti/Grafitti Vandal(s)
Mou某
# Psychology: Grafitti/Grafitti Vandal(s)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-26)

What's the psychology behind grafittit?

What mentality do graffiti vandals have?

**Tags:** social-psychology

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I don't know the psychology, but from what I've seen, graffiti seems to happen most often in the ugliest of places. Perhaps there something about the location's lack of upkeep, or state of abandonment, that inspires the act. We also had a gang tagging incident, at a church, down the street on the night we held a rave - the first one ever - at a ballroom. Perhaps there is something about ownership of the area or feeling invaded.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-03-03. Score: 1

> Teens who get involved in graffiti **'tagging' may be showing early
> symptoms of a personality disorder**, an Australian psychiatrist says.
>
> He says the study, presented at an international child and adolescent mental health conference in Melbourne this week, found that **teens who graffiti "are significantly different to those who do not graffiti"**.
>
> "These young people ... were **very antisocial** on a range of other factors. They weren't just mildly conduct disordered, they were s**coring to the extreme range of antisocial behaviour.**"
>
> He says the study found adolescent graffitists had done around six to eight other acts, such as setting fires, beating people up and stealing.
>
> "You can pick many of these young people somewhere around the age of three," he says.
>
> "The average kindergarten teacher will tell you, I don't like that child, I can't work with them, they spit at me, they spit at the other kids, they hit people, they won't learn.
>
> "You can certainly predict which ones will go on to antisocial behaviour, and within that graffiti is going to be one of the things that stands out."
>
> Martin says **tagging conveys a number of messages**, from saying "hello, I'm here" to being a territorial marker and an expression of rage against authority.
> <http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/09/13/1737822.htm>


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