An audit report said that around 65 per cent in a sample of 893 people who received some form of anti-social behaviour intervention did not engage in further anti-social behaviour. But there was a hard core of perpetrators for whom interventions had limited impact: 20 per cent of the people in the sample received 55 per cent of all interventions issued.
Source: Tackling Anti-Social Behaviour, HC 99 (Session 2006-07), National Audit Office, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | NAO press release | Home Office press release | NCH press release | Nacro press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2006-Dec
An article examined the decline in crime and the rise in concern with anti-social behaviour. It considered both the evidence for and the causes of this shift, focusing on England and Wales and the United States of America.
Source: Jayne Mooney and Jock Young, 'The decline in crime and the rise of anti-social behaviour', Probation Journal, Volume 53 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Dec
The government began consultation on proposals to extend legal powers to deal with anti-social behaviour. Under the options discussed, home-owners could face being thrown out of their properties within 48 hours if they persisted in anti-social behaviour; and parents could have to pay fines if their children committed anti-social behaviour.
Source: Strengthening Powers to Tackle Anti-social Behaviour, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Consultation document | Shelter press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
A study of anti-social behaviour orders in England and Wales said that as many as half of them were breached. Many people dealing with youth offending doubted their effectiveness, and some teenagers saw them as glamorous. Police, local authorities and sentencers needed to involve youth offending teams every time an ASBO was considered for children and young people.
Source: Aikta-Reena Solanki, Tim Bateman, Gwyneth Boswell and Emily Hill, Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, Youth Justice Board for England and Wales/Home Office (020 7271 3033)
Links: Summary | YJB press release | Home Office press release | Nacro press release | Community Care report | Times report | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
The government announced that dedicated parenting experts would be established in 77 areas across England, to support parents of families exhibiting anti-social behaviour, or at risk of doing so. It said that the intention was to ensure that those parents who were worried about their children's behaviour could get the help they needed to put an end to the bad behaviour and bring up happier, better behaved children.
Source: Press release 21 November 2006, Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Home Office press release | YJB press release | NCH press release | PAT press release | Nacro press release | Coram Family press release | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Nov
A study examined the possible value and usefulness of anti-social behaviour orders in tackling racial harassment; and their potential or actual negative impacts on black and minority ethnic groups. It said that data on ASBO recipients (and ASBOs generally) was not monitored, making it impossible to investigate whether black and minority ethnic communities were disproportionately represented in the numbers served with an ASBO.
Source: Sarah Isal, Equal Respect: ASBOs and race equality, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Nov
A report presented findings from the 2004-05 British Crime Survey on perceptions of anti-social behaviour. The most widely perceived problems were young people hanging around, and rubbish or litter.
Source: Anna Upson, Perceptions and Experience of Anti-social Behaviour: Findings from the 2004/05 British Crime Survey, Online Report 21/06, Home Office (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Oct
An evaluation of six intensive family support services pilots found that in the case of 85 per cent of families involved, complaints about anti-social behaviour had either ceased or reduced to a level where their tenancy was no longer at risk by the time they left the programme.
Source: Anti-social Behaviour Intensive Family Support Projects: An evaluation of six pioneering projects, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | NCH press release
Date: 2006-Oct
A report evaluated the impact of specialist anti-social behaviour rehabilitation projects (set up to work with families who were at risk of eviction or who had been evicted from their homes due to anti-social behaviour) in terms of costs and benefits, effectiveness, and lessons for dissemination. Almost 9 out of 10 families changed their behaviour after receiving intensive support.
Source: Anti-social Behaviour Intensive Family Support Projects: An evaluation of six pioneering projects, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2006-Oct
A new book examined the legal regulation of offensive behaviour. Topics included: the nature of offensiveness; the grounds and permissible scope of criminal prohibitions against offensive behaviour; the legitimacy of civil orders against incivilities; and the social trends that had generated political interest in preventing incivilities through intervention of law.
Source: Andrew Simester and Andrew von Hirsch (eds.), Incivilities: Regulating offensive behaviour, Hart Publishing (01865 517530)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Oct
The Prime Minister said that it was possible to identify the families whose circumstances made it likely their children would grow up to be a 'menace to society'. He said that teenage mothers and 'problem families' could be forced to take help to head off difficulties; that the government had to intervene much earlier (even before children were actually born) to prevent problems developing when children were older; and that there could be sanctions for parents who refused to take advice.
Source: BBC interview with Tony Blair MP (Prime Minister), 31 August 2006
Links: Transcript | BBC report | Guardian report | NCH press release
Date: 2006-Aug
A new book examined the role of housing and urban governance in addressing anti-social behaviour.
Source: John Flint (ed.), Housing, Urban Governance and Anti-social Behaviour: Perspectives, policy and practice, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2006-Jul
A report examined young people's views of anti-social behaviour. The majority condemned bad behaviour, and fewer than 10 per cent considered they had been responsible for anti-social acts in the previous year: but they felt these facts were not represented accurately in the media.
Source: Lucja Wisniewska, Lucie Harris and Clare Oliver, The Voice Behind the Hood: Young people?s views on antisocial behaviour, the media and older people, British Youth Council (0845 458 1489) and YouthNet
Links: Report | Youthnet press release | Young People Now report
Date: 2006-Jul
The government announced new measures to tackle the root causes of problem behaviour, with proposals to support parents whose children were at risk of drifting into patterns of poor behaviour at an early age. It announced a shortlist of 20 local authorities who would be asked to pilot new targeted support and courses for parents with children and young people at risk of poor behaviour between the ages of 8 and 13.
Source: Speech by Beverley Hughes MP (Minister of State for Children and Families), 19 July 2006
Links: Text of speech | DfES press release
Date: 2006-Jul
An article said that the annual cost of severe anti-social behaviour in childhood was substantial and widespread, involving several agencies: but the burden fell most heavily on the family. Wider uptake of evidence-based interventions was likely to lead to considerable economic benefits in the short term, and probably even more in the long term.
Source: Renee Romeo, Martin Knapp and Stephen Scott, 'Economic cost of severe antisocial behaviour in children and who pays it', British Journal of Psychiatry, June 2006
Links: Abstract | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
A pilot scheme ended or improved the anti-social behaviour of over 70 per cent of the participants. 84 per cent were helped to avoid homelessness, and 90 per cent of the children who received support through the scheme improved their attendance at school.
Source: Anwen Jones, Deborah Quilgars, Nicholas Pleace and Diana Sanderson, Addressing Antisocial Behaviour: An independent evaluation of Shelter Inclusion Project, Shelter (020 7505 4699)
Links: Report | Summary | Shelter press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The government said that people evicted from their homes as a result of anti-social behaviour could find their housing benefit cut if they refused to undergo rehabilitation.
Source: Press release 5 June 2006, Department for Work and Pensions (020 7712 2171)
Links: DWP press release | Shelter press release | BBC report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jun
An article examined the use of anti-social behaviour orders to regulate people's conduct, and its implications for citizenship rights.
Source: John Flint and Judy Nixon, 'Governing neighbours: anti-social behaviour orders and new forms of regulating conduct in the UK', Urban Studies, Volume 43 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-May
An article examined New Labour's approach to incivility in the city, as manifest in the 'respect' and 'urban renaissance' agendas. It said that the zero-tolerance approach to incivility was based on a confused understanding of anti-social behaviour, and on contradictory evidence of its occurrence and impact.
Source: Jon Bannister, Nick Fyfe and Ade Kearns, 'Respectable or respectful? (In)civility and the city', Urban Studies, Volume 43 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-May
The Court of Appeal reportedly overturned a ruling that prevented the police using force to remove children under 16 from designated dispersal zones when a curfew was operating. It said that the police could use force to remove those who were believed to be involved in, or at risk from, anti-social behaviour.
Source: Court of Appeal 12 Month 2006
Links: Press Association report | Young People Now report | BBC report
Date: 2006-May
An article said that civility should be understood as democratic, pluralistic, and premised on a sense of moral equality - as well as easing social conflicts and facilitating social interactions.
Source: Richard Boyd, 'The value of civility?', Urban Studies, Volume 43 Number 6
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-May
An article examined how the members of a team of anti-social behaviour officers in one city (Birmingham) defined the outcomes of their work and how these should be assessed. It demonstrated the considerable range of social impacts that officers believed their work should generate.
Source: David Prior, Kathryn Farrow and Alison Paris, 'Beyond ASBOs? Evaluating the outcomes of anti-social behaviour initiatives early findings from a case study in one English city', Local Government Studies, Volume 32 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Feb
A report examined the extent to which anti-social behaviour inhibited the development of cohesive and inclusive community life, and the specific issues which arose for different ethnic/faith communities.
Source: David Prior, Kathryn Farrow, Basia Spalek and Marian Barnes, Anti-social Behaviour and Civil Renewal, Active Citizenship Centre/Home Office (duncan.prime@homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk)
Date: 2006-Jan
A report evaluated rehabilitation projects to provide support for families with children who were at risk of homelessness or eviction due to anti-social behaviour. 8 out of 10 families concerned were headed by lone mothers, and a high rate of mental health problems and family violence within the households was also found.
Source: Judy Nixon et al., Interim Evaluation of Rehabilitation Projects for Families at Risk of Losing Their Homes as a Result of Anti-social Behaviour, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report | Summary | Young People Now report | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
An article examined family intervention projects (designed to provide intensive support to 'problem families'). It said that the projects had been implemented in a way that had provided social work professionals with an opportunity to engage in the kind of creative practice that 'proceduralization, bureaucracy, and managerialism' had made impossible to achieve in mainstream social work arenas.
Source: Sadie Parr, 'Family intervention projects: a site of social work practice', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 39 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Jan
The government published a strategy to tackle anti-social behaviour and the wider "culture of public disrespect". The plan proposed a national network of projects providing help and support for families: but it said that those who did not improve or take responsibility for their children s behaviour could be subject to new powers including a new house closure order temporarily sealing properties that were the constant focus of anti-social behaviour. The government said that it planned to consult on sanctions for households evicted for anti-social behaviour who refused help, including housing benefit measures.
Source: Respect Action Plan, Respect Task Force/Home Office (0870 000 1585)
Links: Action plan | Home Office press release | HMT press release | PM speech | Alcohol Concern press release | NFPI press release | Guardian report
Date: 2006-Jan
The government announced a package of measures designed to give extra help to victims of anti-social behaviour; a crackdown on people who breached anti-social behaviour orders; and new local minimum service standards outlining what the public should expect from local councils, police, and social landlords to deal with intimidation.
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 13 October 2009, columns 21-23WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Hansard | Home Office press release | LGA press release | Catch 22 press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2006-Jan