Investigated public school vandalism with 7th through 12th grade students. Found vandalism highest in 7th grade, decreasing progressively with each increase in grade level. Predictors of vandalism included being from the lowest academic track, having committed acts of vandalism during junior high school (for high school students), coming from…

Israeli students (N=600) responded to a questionnaire dealing with motives for participating in vandalism. Factors accounting for such motivation included perceived level of vandalism at school, attitude toward school, attitude toward teacher, and school anxiety. Punishment, father's level of education, sense of hope, and class level had no effect…

The major implication of this study is that school rebellion is not a response to the school experience itself. Other findings are presented concerning the scalability of school disruption items, the nature of expressive alienation and its components, and the impact of sex, race, and neighborhood on school rebellion. (KC)

This article reviews statistics on the growth of vandalism and personal violence by secondary school students; suggests possible causes and motives; and describes programs designed to reduce and prevent the incidence in the nation's schools. (Author/SJL)