Vandalism in Joshua Tree

I just read an editorial in the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, California about vandalism in Joshua Tree National Park. Vandalism is a seemingly senseless crime that can take any number of forms from completely destroying property to simply writing a name on something; no matter the extent, the property owner feels violated and is often faced with expensive and time-consuming repairs (if possible). In the case of Joshua Tree National Park, we are all the victims since the park is a national treasure for us all to visit.

Vandalism, like most crimes that juveniles commit, is often done in a group setting. If your child is involved in vandalism you should be concerned about what else they may be doing. Vandalism often comes with a package of other behaviors like substance use, stealing or any number of other problem behaviors.

If a child is committing such acts, a few things come to mind immediately. First, it tells us that they were probably spending time with people that promote property destruction. It also reveals that they were unsupervised at the time or were supervised by someone that isn't promoting responsible behavior. It is often the case that the vandals were not concerned about facing any type of punishment either because they did not think they would be caught or because they have learned to expect a response from their parents and/or law enforcement that they do not find very concerning.

It is not within your power as a parent to determine how the legal process will respond, but you can address your own response, which could help avoid legal consequences in the future. If you are in this situation, it is crucial for you to do some investigation of the peer relationship and set some limits on those. You must also figure out the gaps in supervision and develop a strategy to monitor those times. Finally, you must consider how you respond to an offense when you catch it. This sounds like a lot of work, and it is, but a child that's vandalizing property may be getting into more significant trouble, or danger, or at least be on that path.

If you are aware that your child has damaged property, address it now before the problems become larger and more serious. If you are concerned about your child's friends or where they spend time, you should address that as well; hopefully, before they become a vandal.