One of 52 theoretical papers on school crime and its relation to poverty, this chapter reviews the various approaches used in the study of school vandalism and attempts to define what is needed now. The main contribution of early research on vandalism is to point out an intellectual dead end. Conventional demographic approaches to the problem, by themselves, lead nowhere. In the years since 1970, five distinct research issues have been identified. The first is the absence of satisfactory reporting and measuring techniques to provide baseline data. The second is the development of causal models that include situational factors and motivational constructs. The third is the problematic relationship between school vandalism and larger forces. The fourth is an outcome of the third: the defensive stance taken by many schools in response to research focused on vandalism as their problem. The fifth is the absence of any theoretical bases for grounded cost-benefit studies of security programs. (Author/MLF)