Broken Window Effect
What is it?
The Broken Window Effect is a theory in criminology and social behavior which suggests that visible signs of disorder or neglectâlike broken windows, graffiti, or litterâcan lead to more serious crimes and further neglect. It implies that maintaining a well-ordered environment helps prevent escalation into worse problems.
If you leave one broken window in a building and donât fix it, soon there will be more broken windows. People think, âIf no one cares about this place, why should I?â
Some everyday examples:
Graffiti on a wall: If one person spray-paints a wall and itâs left there, more people might start adding their own graffiti, thinking itâs allowed or no one minds.
Trash in a park: If someone litters and no one cleans it up, others might start throwing their trash too, and the park becomes dirty quickly.
Messy office kitchen: If one person leaves a dirty cup in the sink and no one cleans it, others may start leaving dishes tooâleading to a big pile-up.
The takeaway:
Small signs of neglect can lead to bigger problems. But the good news? Fixing those little things earlyâlike cleaning up or repairing damageâcan help keep everything else in better shape. ...