Title: Policy and Service Responses to Anti Social Behaviour: Ten years of policy and practice in the UK
1Policy and Service Responses to Anti Social
Behaviour Ten years of policy and practice in
the UK
- Dr Nathan Hughes
- Families, Communities and Justice Research
Centre, - Institute of Applied Social Studies, University
of Birmingham, UK - Email n.j.hughes_at_bham.ac.uk
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2Outline
- How is anti-social behaviour (ASB) defined?
- Why has ASB become a political concern?
- How is ASB tackled?
- What are the implications of this approach?
- What are the alternatives?
- What are the current issues for practice?
3How is ASB defined?
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines ASB as
behaviour that caused or was likely to cause
harassment, alarm or distress to one or more
persons not of the same household as the
perpetrator.
- harassment
- threats
- verbal abuse
- intimidation
- graffiti / criminal damage
- assault
- noise
- public disturbance
- arson
- racial abuse
- drunk and disorderly
- prostitution
- shoplifting
- throwing missiles
- trespass
4Subjective definition
it is important to recognise that virtually any
activity can be anti-social depending on a range
of background factors, such as the context in
which it occurs, the location, peoples tolerance
levels and expectations about the quality of life
in the area (Whitehead et al, 2003 4-5, cited
by Jacobsen et al, 2005).
5Protecting the law abiding citizen
- Our aim is a something for something society
where we treat one another with respect and where
we all share responsibility for taking a stand
against what is unacceptable. But some people and
some families undermine this. The anti-social
behaviour of a few, damages the lives of many.
(ASB White Paper 2003, Ministerial Foreword) - A key goal is to empower individuals and
communities, enabling them not just to feel
secure but to be more able to act together to
make their neighbourhoods safer and better.
(Respect Action Plan www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documen
ts/respect-action-plan)
6A shared community understanding?
- The conditions for respect depend ultimately
on a shared commitment to a common set of values
expressed through behaviour that is considerate
of others (including) respect for others, their
property and their privacy, civility, good
manners and a recognition that everyone has
responsibilities as well as rights. (Respect
Action Plan)
7Marginalised groups
- Whose voice is heard and whose is not?
- Potential for othering, e.g. young people
- Anti-social behaviour has become a convenient
peg on which to hang general prejudices about
young people and their activities which make
restrictive policies popular. (Bunney, 2005 67)
8A law and order discourse
- Focus on harm to victim and community
- Perpetrator as a risk to others i.e. Youth as
risk - Need to protect community from this behaviour
- Focus on the act
- Intended outcome is the prevention of the act
- Law and order and enforcement discourse
9Law and order enforcement
- The community sets clear standards of behaviour.
The police and local authorities must enforce
these standards and take swift, effective action
if they are breached (ASB White Paper 2003, p7). - a no-tolerance approach to anti-social
behaviour, with new powers for the police, such
as curfews, specialist prosecutors and
anti-social behaviour response courts, and
support for communities (Home Office, 2004, p10).
10Examples of legal powers of enforcement
- Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs)
- ASBOs linked to a criminal conviction (CRASBOs)
- Parenting Orders
- Dispersal Orders
- Curfew Orders
- Termination of tenancy agreements
- Fixed Penalty Notices
- Alcohol Free Zones
- Noise Abatement Orders
- Closure Orders (Crack houses)
11ASBOs
- Aged 10 years or older
- Civil order but a criminal offence if breached
- Conditions include curfews, not associating with
named persons, not entering a certain area, not
behaving in a certain manner - ASBOs cannot order an individual to take positive
steps - Able to name and shame those with ASBOs
12The limitations of enforcement
- Do contracts change behaviour?
- Reported negative effects of ASBO restrictions on
young people - Limited impact on community
- Individualised response overlooks the
significance of broader structural issues
13Developing Responses to Anti-Social Behaviour
ENFORCEMENT
PREVENTION
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT
14A preventative discourse
- Anti-social behaviour understood within a broader
preventative framework - Recognition and understanding of broader
influences on and causes of anti-social behaviour - Perpetrator as at risk or vulnerable
- Encouraging positive behaviour
- E.g. education, positive activities, family
support, positive role models, voluntary
contracts - Diversion from justice system / agencies
15Working with communities
- Respect relies on a shared understanding and
clear rules and is strengthened by people acting
together to tackle problems and improve their
lives. (Respect Action Plan) - Practices that increase the
- Safety
- Tolerance
- Trust
- Cohesion- of communities.
- How can the dominant enforcement / casework model
contribute to this?
- Resilience
- Capacity
- Engagement
- Empowerment
16Some Issues for Practice
- Dangers of seeing ASB as the (only) problem,
rather than often a symptom of other problems - Tensions between long-term investment in
community prevention and short-term problem
solving to protect individuals - Resource implications of preventive approaches
- How to build trust with residents in deprived
communities - Variations in understanding/definition of ASB,
including different understandings and values
between partner agencies - What works well for who and why? How do we judge
success? Can we monitor/evaluate long-term
impacts?