If yes, you should confront your child immediately. Once you see graffiti, it's important that it be reported to the Police Department immediately. Don't assume that someone else has or will report it. Also be sure to report any suspicious activity such as youngsters hanging around the rear of a shopping center or possessing spray paint. If it is your property, report it and then, after the police have seen it, remove it quickly.
Studies indicate that quick removal is the best deterrent to graffiti.
But, it requires a sustained commitment. Frequently, after an area is cleaned and the graffiti removed, the offenders return and scrawl new graffiti. Be prepared to return to paint out the graffiti as frequently as necessary until the graffiti vandals concede defeat. Eventually, usually after no more than three times, they will give up and you will have won back your neighborhood. Join the Prince William Citizens' Graffiti Prevention Task Force.