Vandalism at Boys Schools in Jordan

This study aimed at investigating the forms and causes of vandalism at boys schools in Jordan. In order to achieve the objectives of the study the researchers developed an instrument. This instrument was applied on a stratified random sample consisting of (237 ) students (8.4 % of the study population ) .The findings of the study indicated that: students displayed different forms of vandalism and the causes of vandalism, These forms could be categorized into four main categories: communication skills and human relations factors, instructional subject factors, family factors, and school factors. Also the results indicated that there were statistically significant differences (α=0.05) on the vandalism attributed to 11 grade students. verbal, emotional and criticism of others. These wrong models were learned in family, schools, society and family. Media plays a major role in raising the aggressive behavior of individuals through the films of violence and terror that often appear on the screens (Abu humaidan 2003). Many theories explained the origin of aggressive behavior: the biological theory states that peripheral part of the brain, glands secretions and chromosomes are the major factors resulting in aggressive behavior. While Mursey’s (1985), psychoanalytical theory explains aggression according to sexual and childhood experience. The behavioral theory explained aggression according to reinforcement or punishment follows the aggressive behavior, while the social theory explained it according to modeling behavior which he experiences from social environment or media (Shenawi 2005). Vandalism is a common phenomenon in the boy’s schools in Jordan. Students write on seats and walls, destroy school facilities, sanitation, bathrooms, seats, damaging doors, windows, library contents, laboratories, and even water tanks. The causes of student’s vandalism could be addressed as follows: First, The Psychological Reasons Vandalism has psychological roots, students practice vandalism after they have responded to 42 AHMAD MAHMOUD THAWABIEH AND MOHAMMED AHMAD AL-ROFO their: minds, plans, and feelings. The psychological roots could be due to these reasons: 1. Investigation: students sometimes damage things in order to investigate the reality of things, but it is not intended to sabotage. 2. Sensitivity: children are sensitive to the nature of things they see in front of them, and this thing is a request for their growth so they like to do absurd things, test, and sometimes sabotage. 3. Childish Imagination: in some cases, children destroy things to please their imagination, because they have great capacity to imagine, they even have the imagination to build palaces on the moon, they imagine that they have wings to fly in the sky. 4. Turmoil: Sometimes, a child indulges in a type of vandalism because of the psychological turmoil and loses control of his will. 5. Emotional Reasons: Many of the disruptive practices had emotional roots, in other words, the child sometimes sabotages because something hurts his emotions. Secondly: The Social Reasons 1. The child shows the practices of violence as a reflection of the family relations. 2. Severe punishment. 3. Entertainment: Sometimes a child practices sabotage in order to obtain entertainment especially when he does not find himself busy, whereas others are engrossed in their work. One of the manifestations of this situation is the drawing, writing on walls, tables, and chairs. 4. Drawing Attention: Drawing attention is a psychological and social issue, it could be noticed when the child finds himself neglected either by his /her parents or friends, so in order to draw attention a child starts to practice vandalism. Thirdly: The Personal Reasons These factors vary from one person to another, they include: Neurological diseases, genetic factors, sometimes the child practices the disruptive behavior because of a feeling of failure (Scheffer and Mehlman 1996). Fourthly: The Biological Reasons These reasons are arguable, they include genetic structure, gland secretions, diseases, and negative attitude resulting from weak body structure especially short height (Scheffer and Mellman 1989; Yousef 2005).