Most state and local laws dealing with graffiti refer to it as "vandalism." Tied to juvenile delinquency, gangs, and petty crime, it is seen as having no social value, and no ties to any other social realm than that of the inner city youth.

Familial socialization tends to teach that graffiti is created by, essentially, listless lowlifes. Parents are quick to point out that much graffiti is crude and foul, containing numerous words and phrases that children should not read or repeat. Thus, very early in childhood development graffitic images and writings are lent a very negative, undesirable connotation.

The process of decorating 'inappropriate' surfaces is also discouraged at a young age. Many are those who share the experience of being spanked or otherwise punished for applying their Crayola-assisted artistic impulses onto the living-room walls...

In general, common experience does not challenge these negative conceptions of graffiti. It is most commonly encountered in lower class areas and public locations that lack quality maintenance, such as public bathrooms. Graffiti which does appear elsewhere, such as higher class bathrooms or on the walls of business establishments, is quickly and thoroughly eliminated, a fresh coat of paint the only testament to its previous existence.

 

Little exists in everyday experience to challenge the common connotation that graffiti holds...