Graffiti Facts

Graffiti has plagued modern civilization for thousands of years. According to The Japan Times in 1999 “Researchers have photographed what may be the earliest known alphabetical writing — graffiti carved by Semitic soldiers on an Egyptian cliff wall about 4,000 years ago." Since the early to mid eighties, graffiti vandalism has steadily encroached upon our way of life. It has gained popularity through exposure from hip-hop music and lifestyle, through movies and advertising that plays on youth and "edginess." The line between wrong and right has been blurred further by the debate over the differences between vandalism and art. Unfortunately, graffiti is becoming a bigger part of our culture and surroundings. Read more below...

Is Graffiti Really That Big of a Problem?
Types of Graffiti
What Materials Do The Vandals Use?
What Does Graffiti Cost Us?

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Graffiti is a sign and symptom of a wide variety of either criminal or subversive sub-culture. Each one of these subcultures presents their own codes, language, traditions and practices. Since most of these groups are to at least the extent of their graffiti criminal in nature they are understandable cautious about concealing their identities. The Internet is a networking goldmine for these sub-groups.

Before the widespread status of the Internet a graffiti vandal, gang member, or supremacist would be limited in exposure to others of their interest. The anonymity of the Internet widened their horizons. Now you could anonymously post information or photos on the Internet and share your work or beliefs to the world, with little perceived danger of being identified or held accountable for your actions. By virtually connecting all these small pockets of disorder we have created large pools or people that by word and action show disrespect for property and person through their vandalism and hate.

The most common tactic used to combat graffiti is abatement, meaning the swift and consistent removal of the graffiti as soon as it is found. For this system to be most effective everyone needs to be aware of graffiti in their environment and report it promptly. Below is a widely accepted chart that shows the estimated rate of re-occurrence in comparison to the length of time the graffiti was allowed to remain without abatement.

Advances in technology, research, legislation, and experience are made everyday in the field of graffiti abatement. At the same time budgets for graffiti education, investigation, and abatement are being slashed across the nation. In this time of heightened security resources are being shifted to Homeland Defense and priority crimes. This is especially true in the transportation fields of flight, trucking, and rail. Until graffiti programs are consistently and adequately funded the current status is one of holding back the flood and trying to keep it contained, rather than eradicating it completely.

What Materials Do The Vandals Use?

Graffiti vandals use an impressive array of materials and techniques to apply their marks. Stickers, markers, and spray paint are the most common media for graffiti however the type of media used is only limited by the imagination of the vandal. With the goal of the vandal to have their work displayed for as long as possible, they will work to find or develop methods that are more difficult or costly to remove. It is not uncommon to find recipes for homemade inks that stain the surface itself on graffiti web sites. Along with the ink recipes are directions for how to turn everyday objects into markers for the ink.

Scratchiti or “scribing” is the act of using a tool to scratch the vandal’s moniker into the surface of metal or glass. Due to the specialized knowledge and expense involved in abating this type of graffiti it is common to see graffiti of this type last for years. Scribing may last a long time, but it is nearly impossible for the vandal to have good control of the style that is achieved. Also the thin lines that are achieved are nearly invisible unless you are right next to the graffiti. Looking for an alternative method that would allow control and provide for visibility from a distance, vandals discovered Etch Bath. A commercial product that had been on the market for over two decades, Etch Bath was invented and marketed for the hobby industry as a method for etching detailed designs into glass for decoration. Vandals loved it because it was easily available, could be used in homemade markers, and left thick milky lines on the glass it was applied to. If the targeted glass does not have a sacrificial barrier then the only recourse for removal until recently was through expensive buffing or replacement of the window entirely.

Removal methods can range from easy spray and wipe tags, to large areas that must be completely repainted to difficult situations in which professional knowledge and experience are required to prevent further damage. Each piece of graffiti must be analyzed to determine the media used and the surface properties to develop a strategy for removal.