What is meant by Anti-Social behaviour?
Although many types of anti-social or disorderly behaviour may not necessarily constitute a crime it is the kind of low-level, persistent disturbance that can severely impact on the quality of life in local communities. Anti-social behaviour undermines people's confidence that crime is being tackled and fuels a fear of crime.
Definition
The definition of Anti Social Behaviour (ASB) is open to interpretation and discussion. The definition that tends to be used is the one used in Section 1 of the Crime & Disorder Act to define the Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). This defines the effects of the behaviour rather than the behaviour itself:
"In a manner that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as {the defendant}."
Anti-social behaviour includes a range of problems – noisy neighbours, abandoned cars, vandalism, graffiti, litter and youth nuisance.
Some typical examples of anti-social behaviour are listed below:-
Intimidation of neighbours and others through threats or violence or a mixture of unpleasant actions
Persistent unruly behaviour by a small group of individuals in a local area, who perhaps dominate others and use minor damage to property, possible at unsociable hours, as a means of intimidating other people.
Persistent abusive behaviour towards the vulnerable in society (eg elderly people or mentally ill or disabled people) causing them fear or distress.
Serious and persistent bullying of children in public recreation grounds or on the way to school.
Homophobic behaviour.
Persistent nuisance and 'quality of life' threatening behaviour as a result of substance or alcohol abuse.
Some of the most common problems from the above examples include:-
Noise Nuisance - rowdy parties, loud televisions/music, etc.
Nuisance from pets/animals - barking dogs and fouling in communal areas, etc.
Untidy Gardens - overgrown and rubbish in gardens, etc.
Children and young people - vandalism/graffiti etc.
Nuisance from Vehicles - abandoned vehicles, excessive noise, etc.
Rubbish Dumping - Fly-tipping, dumping rubbish in gardens and communal areas, etc.
Drug or Alcohol Misuse - Drug dealing, public disturbance, etc.
Harassment - Abusive behaviour - racism, intimidation, threats etc.
Not all incidents of anti-social behaviour will be reported to the police, some may be reported to other agencies, but they are not always recorded. This makes it difficult to know the exact level of anti-social behaviour. However, these issues do affect the quality of life of local communities.
