Garrett Tinsley (Edison) Graffiti as a Social Problem.

Many people and governments around the world consider graffiti as a social problem. Graffiti is not a new phenomenon. The term ‘graffiti’ refers to an activity which has a long history and which has taken various forms. The word ‘graffiti’ derives from the ancientGreek (yrafo, meaning ‘to write’) and from Latin (graffito, meaning to ‘scratch’). It is commonly understood to mean writing on walls. Graffiti was practiced in both ancient Greece and Rome (examples have been found at Pompeii and Herculaneum), and wasalso common in the early modern, medieval and Elizabethan periods. The reason graffiti is a problem is because in recent times the extent of graffiti in the public domain has increased dramatically. The impact on the streetscape is significant and deleterious to local amenity, although a minority would consider some forms of graffiti as public art. Scientific analysis of social impacts associated with graffiti have identified that a social problem exists as a result of community perception with graffiti and its linkage to the fear of crime. These investigations have also identified that in locations where there is significance incidence of graffiti there is community concern over the general indifference of local authorities towards community well being and the presentation of safe public places.As a consequence to these community concerns all states and territories within Australia have introduced graffiti legislation in an attempt to control the problem.

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