Less tangible, but no less real, are the psychic wounds that graffiti inflicts on communities. Increased citizen fear, diminished use of public space, reduced participation in civic activities, decreased economic activity and tourism, and decreased respect for duly constituted authority - these are some of the byproducts of graffiti. Fear in particular is a vicious force as well as the first step in a vicious cycle. Fear can cause people to change their behavior dramatically, disrupting community life and forcing neighborhood residents into virtual isolation. A parent refuses to attend an evening PTA meeting.
Older residents venture outside only briefly and only during the middle of the day.
Cultural and sports events and civic activities experience declining attendance. Children are kept out of playgrounds and parks by worried adults. People and businesses start to move away. Simply put, low-level disorder, petty crime, public drunkenness, panhandling, graffiti, unfixed broken windows and people sleeping on sidewalks are general signs that social controls have broken down. The consequences for communities in terms of physical, fiscal and psychic harm are enormous.