Is Your Child a Tagger?

Is your child a tagger? The City of Santa Ana, California, published this handy-dandy guide for parents to determine whether your kid is a graffiti vandal. Tips include:

Your child has large quantities of “Hello My Name Is” stickers, priority mail stickers, or number or letter stickers. These stickers may have drawings or a tagging moniker written on them. These stickers are used to “slap tag.” They are slapped upon a surface and are difficult to remove and generally leave a residue.

Your child has or carries a black artist notebook that contains tagging or drawings. These books are called “bibles” or “piece books.”

Link - via ectoplasmosis


OR your child might just have interests outside of videogames and TV! OH NO! Expanding horizons and well-rounded educations!

I hate people who freak and generalize. Besides...almost EVERY kid has a hoodie! And crayola markers are kinda fat...no ultra-fine points there.
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Most of Santa Ana is a frickin ghetto partially because of scumbags who go around vandalizing other people's property. If parents are stupid enough to raise someone with so little respect for other people's things then It's not a far stretch to think they're stupid enough to not recognize "warning signs".
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I can't believe the amount of graffiti in southern California for about the last 7 years or so. The nice little hamlet that I grew up in is now a tagged up ghetto hell hole. I moved away years ago now, but it still breaks my heart to see what some people have done to my home town.
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SO stupid. It is call an old fashion ass whooping. If you catch your child defacing property you beat the snot out of him tell him you love him and lock him up. That is a lot better than going to juvenile hall for cause over $5,000 in damages.
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as dumb as the hoodie/hat thing is, the rest of it is actually pretty spot on. especially the black book/stencil/huge marker thing, those are all pretty standard (being a grafgirl myself, i can attest).
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I used to "tag" and actually went to jail for it...and I also disagree with all of the cynics in here. It's not just dumb parents generalizing...this is kinda what you have to wear to go out writing. Uniform of necessity.
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I think the best possible way to help out kids who have that "urge" to go and tag something should be given a space to do so. I'm not condoning the act of vandalism but if they want to say it is an art form they should be able to express themselves in an area designated for it.

When I used to live in the UK (for 2 years) the tagging problem was huge so the city of London decided that if kids have such a need to do so why not have them compete in a set area filled with concrete walls. Obviously, they had judges who made sure that gang related stuff was not allowed but this way kids who wanted to create art can be given a place to do so.

Some of the talented kids who would've ended up either arrested for vandalizing property or acting like delinquents got commissions to do large art works on buildings and sets! Of course, there were those (gangs) who just wanted to go about tagging and the problem still persists but at a much smaller level.
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I think Ali S has the right idea.

Kids who just scrawl mindless tags everywhere are vandals. But those who want to express themselves artistically should have a space in which to do so.
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That article had a lot of good ideas for someone like me, who would like to get into tagging but just doesn't know where to start! Thanks, the city of Santa Ana!
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@Evil Pundit
"...But those who want to express themselves artistically should have a space in which to do so."

Why? How about they show they're responsible enough to be a member of society first.
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I hope you guys (people with comments against graff) are pushing stereotypes even more.

It is definatelly not the parents fault as to why writers do what they do. I've met taggers from all walks of life; rich, poor, strict/non-strict parents, people who live in the "ghetto" and people who come from upper-class neighborhoods. I once met a writer who's father was a cop. So don't be so quick to point the blame on the parents.

As for the people who say graff isn't an art, PLEASE explain to me what hair glued to a piece of would is. Honestly graff is a much more interpretable form of art than a lot of the art you see hanging in a museum.

And this is by far the worst description of a writer, Its more of a description of a rookie 'toy' who cant wait to be caught. I think dave chappelle said it best "just cause i'm dressed like a slut, doesnt make me a slut" moral of the story, dont dress in a way that you dont want to be seen as.
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@duus - Seriously? You'd like to "get into tagging". You should check it out. There's some baldheaded kids in my neighborhood that'd love you to "get into it" with them. I'm sure you'd fit right in. They all read Neatorama by the way so likely they've already sussed out your interest and will be right over to pick you up for some fun times tagging the hood.

If someone could explain what purpose tagging serves...

It sure ain't artistic expression. It looks like dripping shit. And makes everything around it look like shit. And anyway, are people really still tagging? Sweet FredfreakingDurst that's so nineties. Get a hobby, kids. Read a book. Draw a picture. Talk to some adults. Throw out your baggy pants. Turn your hat back around, retard. Get on the team and come in for the big win.

Graffiti's cool though. As long as they don't let stupid taggers do it.

Oh, the most recent tag in my neighborhood: "Lordes is a retard." No lie. Sweet.
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Yes, graffiti is an art expression. Yes, some of it is quite beautiful. No, such artists don't have the right to deface someone else's property.

This post is hysterical, however. I love when the government tries to educate parents.
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I hate graffiti as much as the next guy and I REALLY HATE TAGGING.
That said, I am a professor of Graphic Design at Cal Poly Pomona. I take umbridge at this rediculous representation of a generalization of those who have hoodies, black markers and black sketch books. Hell thats most of my students.
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thats why i wear a suit and tie when i go out. paint gets on it but hey- a suit coat at the thrift store will set you back a LOT less than the latest logo hoodie.

whatever on tags, peices are where its at! fellas spend hours creating a masterpeice.
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Myself, I prefer /consensual/ art. If I want art on the unpainted ashlar wall of my historical apartment building, (which is already a freaking work of art,) I'll commission someone.

I like writing my name pretty too, that's why I practice calligraphy.
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ok ima tagger &its just another way expres you self and the reason they put it on wallz iz so if they die something of them will stil b ther ima tag til i die
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I have a blackbook, fat markers and wear hoodies all the time but i dont go out in the street and do graffiti, all my friends have blackbooks and markers but the most graffiti we've ever done is write our name in cement, and occasionally write you name on a stoby pole !
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At least kids are breaking the law in a way which lets them express there creativity rather then robbery, assault etc. What the hell do you think kids are gonna do, the walls are blank and boring no one understands that kids want to colour them and make them interesting.
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I agree with Ned. When kids are toddlers, the color in coloring books, wallpaper, newspapers anything. To teenagers a blank wall is something to color in, to get your name out, a canvas. Give them space and it will be street art for everyone to see.

I don't agree with gang graffiti, e.g "Cripz, Bloodz" or anything like that. That promotes theft, assault, serious crimes, drugs etc.

Give them a place to do it.
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graffiti cant be stopped and never will be stopped.theres worse crimes than graffiti beacause in the end you're just vandalizing. people are just ignorant **** who think everything is gang related
SECK MADC OPK mob Killa on da GK
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omg,,this is soooo profiling taggers!
lmao
when u go writing,dont take a bakkpakk,no stencil,just a can or a marker,,no hoodie,,n no concealing ur face,,wear a small tee n skinny jeans,,n u wont b suspected,,x]
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Tagging stuff is fun and creative, also, painting big peaces is also awsome. if your kid does this on cars or peoples property he should be put in jail, the best thing to tag is churches i tink.
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@ tags mcgee, "DAK", tagger, angle and ACR guy - I'm a real artist - one who puts my own money up for a canvas or a piece of wood or whatever so i can paint on it then try and sell it. grafitti is beautiful and i dig it but i'm tired of paying my hard earned money to clean it up. tagging, on the other hand, is for f**king gang banging losers who have no life whatsoever! put your glocks away, and your pens and spray cans and do something other than impregnate your loser tagging neighbors.
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Well im a graffiti artist , and i admit, i think tagging is fucking ugly and messes shit up, and yea you should cathch the kids who tag around dressed like that because there too stupid to outsmart the system. and I think ive matured and realized tagging is bad unless you put work and effort into in and make your shit cold. If u hardly practice, and it isnt a big part of your life, then give it up , your making guys like me look bad..
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