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Responding to anti-social behaviour: Analysis, interventions and the transfer of knowledge

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Crime Prevention and Community Safety Aims and scope

Abstract

This article examines contemporary responses to anti-social behaviour (ASB) in England and Wales. Drawing on empirical evidence, it examines how ASB problems are understood and prioritised by practitioners; the nature of the interventions developed and implemented to address problems; and the ways in which outcomes are evaluated. The article points to how systematic analysis of ASB problems is unusual and responses are usually reactive; there has been a focus on enforcement interventions rather than on the development of broader solutions to problems; and evaluation of outcomes is weak. These findings are discussed in relation to the development of the ASB agenda in England and Wales. Implications for solving problems are discussed.

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Notes

  1. The Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Unit (ASBU) was set up in January 2003 to set develop ASB policy, powers and interventions as well as to support local delivery. In 2004 the ‘Together’ campaign was launched followed by the ‘Respect’ campaign (Jacobson et al, 2005).

  2. Relevant legislation since 1997 includes: Crime and Disorder Act (1998); The Police Reform Act (2002); Anti-Social Behaviour Act (2003); Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (2005); Organised Crime and Police Act (2005); Emergency Workers Obstruction Act (2006); Police and Justice Act (2006); Violent Crime Reduction Act (2006); Housing and Regeneration Act (2008); Criminal Justice and Immigration Act (2008), as well as procedural and rule changes.

  3. Available at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/, http://asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=75248482 (24 March 2010).

  4. Available at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/, http://asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=75248482 (24 March 2010).

  5. Occasionally 47 are referred to, as one large project was split into two to aid some analysis.

  6. Available at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/case-studies/default.aspx?id=8482 (20 May 2010).

  7. Although this information has been coded, quantified and classified for the purposes of presentation, the findings should be seen as indicative. Coding is not a precise science, the information available was sometimes limited and the categories used are not always mutually exclusive.

  8. Available at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/, http://asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/case-studies/article.aspx?id=8722 (20 May 2010).

  9. Of course the issue of housing tenure was not always relevant to the problem and the response/s. In addition, the housing status of the perpetrator may not have been noted in the case study.

  10. Available at http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/, http://asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/case-studies/article.aspx?id=11896 (20 May 2010).

  11. The ‘one’ actually claimed that it was too soon to tell whether it had been successful rather than it had been unsuccessful.

  12. Indeed, the Labour governments made available extensive Web-based guidance for practitioners in tackling ASB (follow the link at note 13). It is revealing that practically nothing has been made available about data, analysis or evaluation.

  13. See http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=7536 (20 May 2010).

  14. www.audit-commission.gov.uk/localgov/audit/nis/pages/default.aspx (10 May 2010).

  15. Following the BCS, this asks respondents to rate the extent to which the following are a problem: noisy neighbours or loud parties, teenagers hanging around the streets, rubbish or litter lying around, vandalism, graffiti and other deliberate damage to property or vehicles, people using or dealing drugs, people being drunk or rowdy in public places, abandoned or burntout cars.

  16. See Hodgkinson and Tilley (2007) and Millie (2009) for some examples of situational approaches to tackling ASB.

  17. See http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100405140447/asb.homeoffice.gov.uk/members/article.aspx?id=7534 (20 May 2010).

  18. There are many other dimensions to transferring knowledge in the crime reduction field detailed consideration of which are beyond the scope of this article (see Bullock and Ekblom, 2010; Ekblom, 2011).

  19. www.homeoffice.gov.uk/media-centre/speeches/beyond-the-asbo (3 August 2010).

  20. See http://cfnp.npia.police.uk/8482 (24 March 2010).

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  1. Department of Sociology, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK

    Karen Bullock

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Bullock, K. Responding to anti-social behaviour: Analysis, interventions and the transfer of knowledge. Crime Prev Community Saf 13, 1–15 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1057/cpcs.2010.19

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