An article said that anti-social behaviour was not a major concern for most people. Rather, concerns were concentrated in certain deprived and/or urban areas, and in town and city centres. Within these areas it was also possible to misidentify certain – albeit challenging – behaviour as anti-social.
Source: Andrew Millie, 'Looking for anti-social behaviour', Policy & Politics, Volume 35 Number 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Nov
A new book examined the use and impact of anti-social behaviour orders. It assessed the effects of ASBOs on the behaviour and attitudes of recipients, and the issues which arose in relation to their implementation.
Source: Roger Matthews, Helen Easton, Daniel Briggs and Ken Pease, Assessing the Use and Impact of Anti-social Behaviour Orders, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Nov
A report evaluated dispersal powers (introduced under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004) which allowed police to designate a 'dispersal area' in a location where there had been a history of anti-social behaviour. Police, residents and businesses felt that anti-social behaviour was substantially reduced for the three months when the powers were in force.
Source: Ben Cavanagh, A Review of Dispersal Powers, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Date: 2007-Oct
A study examined two pilot schemes (in Bradford and York) designed to increase young people's self-esteem, reward positive behaviour, and stimulate a greater appreciation of the positive contribution they could make to their communities. The evidence from York did not allow firm conclusions, but was mostly positive in the case of the Bradford pilot.
Source: Julia Hirst et al., An Evaluation of Two Initiatives to Reward Young People, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 430033)
Links: Report | JRF Findings
Date: 2007-Oct
Researchers evaluated the implementation and impact of local anti-social behaviour strategies at the neighbourhood level in four selected Scottish local authorities. There was improved local agency performance in partnership working, operational targeting, holistic interventions, and the use of different measures and tools. However, these improvements had not yet resulted in reductions in recorded or perceived levels of neighbourhood anti-social behaviour. The Scottish Government announced a review of how it worked together with local agencies and communities to tackle anti-social behaviour.
Source: John Flint et al., The Impact of Local Antisocial Behaviour Strategies at the Neighbourhood Level, Scottish Government (web publication only) | Press release 25 October 2007, Scottish Government (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report | SG press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A study examined the implementation and impact of dispersal orders (the police power to disperse groups of two or more from designated areas on public safety grounds), and highlighted implications for policy. Enforced alone, dispersal orders constituted a 'sticking plaster' over local problems of order that afforded a degree of localized respite: but they invariably failed to address the wider causes of perceived anti-social behaviour.
Source: Adam Crawford and Stuart Lister, The Use and Impact of Dispersal Orders: Sticking plasters and wake-up calls, Policy Press for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Report | JRF Findings | Policy Press press release
Date: 2007-Oct
A new book reported a survey of offenders with anti-social behaviour orders. It found evidence of contempt for the orders, virtually universal breaches, and strong suggestions that stigma and lack of support might drive young offenders into a career of crime.
Source: Neil Wain and Elizabeth Burney, The ASBO: Wrong Turning – Dead End, Howard League for Penal Reform (020 7249 7373)
Links: HLPR press release | Guardian report | Telegraph report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Sep
An article presented findings from an evaluation of an anti-social behaviour taskforce, which increasingly focused on using anti-social behaviour orders. Although there was evidence of a city-wide reduction in perceived anti-social behaviour, there was none that reported levels had fallen.
Source: Sarah Hodgkinson and Nick Tilley, 'Policing anti-social behaviour: constraints, dilemmas and opportunities', Howard Journal of Criminal Justice, Volume 46 Issue 4
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Sep
Researchers examined the use of anti-social behaviour orders in Scotland. Almost 1 in every 3 orders issued since 2004 had been breached. In 27 per cent of the cases reviewed, there was a 'perceived' improvement in behaviour after an order was granted: but it was no better in 31 per cent of cases.
Source: Fabian Zuleeg et al., Use of Antisocial Behaviour Orders in Scotland, Scottish Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | Summary | SG press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Sep
A report examined how 'respect' operated in an urban context, and what this implied for young people in particular. There was a disjuncture between the government's conception of respect and community, and the way that these were actually experienced in the contemporary city.
Source: Louisa Thomson, The Respect Drive: The politics of young people and community, Centre for Urban and Community Research/Goldsmiths College/University of London (020 7919 7390)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Sep
An official advisory body began consultation on sentencing for breach of an anti-social behaviour order. It said that in most cases involving young offenders the appropriate sentence should be a community order.
Source: Breach of an Anti-social Behaviour Order: Consultation Paper, Sentencing Advisory Panel (020 7035 5158)
Links: Consultation document | SAP press release | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Aug
An article said that there was a pressing need to examine the political factors which were influencing and driving the ASBO agenda under the New Labour government.
Source: Paul Garrett, 'Making "anti-social behaviour": a fragment on the evolution of "ASBO politics" in Britain', British Journal of Social Work, Volume 37 Number 5
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Aug
Researchers examined the extent to which disabled people were victims of harassment and anti-social behaviour and the effectiveness of strategies by social landlords to address this; and, the extent to which a person's impairment or associated behaviour was being interpreted as constituting anti-social behaviour. Despite weaknesses in the published studies, there was extensive evidence to show very high rates of susceptibility by disabled people, particularly those with mental health disabilities, to becoming a victim of anti-social behaviour, often as a result of their impairment.
Source: Caroline Hunter, Nick Hodge, Judy Nixon, Sadie Parr and Ben Willis, Disabled People?s Experiences of Antisocial Behaviour and Harassment in Social Housing: A critical review, Disability Rights Commission (08457 622633)
Date: 2007-Aug
A report said that more than three-quarters (79 per cent) of housing associations were actively making use of legal powers for tackling more serious anti-social behaviour incidents.
Source: Hal Pawson, Emma Davidson and Nicole Lederle, Housing Associations? Use of Anti-social Behaviour Powers, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report | Housing Corporation press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2007-Aug
A government minister said that anti-social behaviour orders were a sign of 'failure'. He said that he wanted to live in 'the kind of society that puts Asbos behind us'.
Source: Daily Mirror, 27 July 2007
Links: Daily Mirror report | Guardian report | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report examined the impact on racial equality of the government's Respect Action Plan (published in January 2006) against anti-social behaviour. It said that the existing respect agenda was too narrowly focused. It put forward an alternative policy framework for thinking about respect, designed to improve the lives of black and ethnic minority people – and to create a 'culture of respect' that would benefit all citizens.
Source: Omar Khan, The State of the Nation: Respect as a justification for policy, Runnymede Trust (020 7377 9222)
Links: Report
Date: 2007-Jul
A report by a committee of MPs said that the government had failed to carry out adequate research into which anti-social behaviour measures brought in since 1997 were most effective.
Source: Tackling Anti?Social Behaviour, Forty?fourth Report (Session 2006-07), HC 246, House of Commons Public Accounts Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | Committee press release | LGA press release | Nacro press release | Rainer press release | Conservative Party press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Jul
A new book examined the 'relentless march of yobbery'. Violent crime had quadrupled since 1979, and foul language and abusive behaviour had permeated the whole of society.
Source: Francis Gilbert, Yob Nation: The truth about Britain's yob culture, Piatkus Books (01476 541080)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jun
An article examined the emergence of parenting orders in Scotland, which became available in April 2005. Scottish local authorities were sceptical of an approach they perceived as an ideological and legislative mix premised on punitive notions of individual responsibility and justice.
Source: Reece Walters, 'Punishing "poor parents": "respect", "responsibility" and parenting orders in Scotland', Youth Justice, Volume 7 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Mar
Campaigners said that over one-third of children under 17 issued with an anti-social behaviour order had a diagnosed mental health disorder or learning difficulty.
Source: Press release 26 February 2007, British Institute for Brain Injured Children (01278 684060)
Links: BIBIC press release | Research summary | Community Care report
Date: 2007-Mar
A review examined the uptake by social landlords of legislative powers to tackle anti-social behaviour. In general, social landlords were using the powers available to them. Possession was the most widely used power, having been used by 77 per cent of housing providers in the 12 months up to April 2006.
Source: Priority Review of the Uptake by Social Landlords of Legislative Powers to Tackle Anti-social Behaviour, Department for Communities and Local Government (0870 1226 236)
Links: Summary
Date: 2007-Jan
An article examined regulations promulgated by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive regarding the licensing of houses in multiple occupation. It said that this regulation was symptomatic of a mutated 'housing crisis? in which the old questions of the adequacy of provision had been supplanted by new questions of responsibility for deviant behaviour.
Source: Helen Carr, Dave Cowan and Caroline Hunter, 'Policing the housing crisis', Critical Social Policy, Volume 27 Issue 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2007-Jan
The government published regulations which would give tenant management organizations in England powers to apply for anti-social behaviour orders.
Source: The Local Authorities (Contracting Out of Anti-social Behaviour Order Functions) (England) Order 2007, Department for Communities and Local Government, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Regulations | DCLG press release | BBC report
Date: 2007-Jan