www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Anti Social Behaviour
The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 defines anti social behaviour (asb) as behaving in a manner that 'caused or was likely to cause harrassment, alarm or distress to on or more persons not of the same household'. This highlights that it is effect the behaviour has that is the important point. Recognising the impact of behaviour on the victims and the community, as well as looking at the risk factors that cause such behaviour, is key to tackling the problem.
For example, when a group of people engage in rowdy or disruptive behaviour, it may have a much greater impact when conducted outside the house of an elderly or vulnerable neighbour than in a local park. Young people involved in asb need to appreciate the impact their behaviour has on the community. Asb can be intimidating as well as a nuisance.
Those agencies involved in dealing with asb must recognise that young people can experience asb as well as being anti social themselves.
Asb can include:
- harrassment of residents and passers by
- verbal abuse
- criminal damage
- graffiti and vandalism
- noise nuisance
- engaging in threatening behaviour in large groups
- smoking or drinking alcohol under age
- substance misuse
- joy riding
- begging
- prostitution and kerb crawling
- throwing missiles
- assault
- vehicle related nuisance
If something is anti social in the community, it is anti social at school, although it may be called something else there (bullying) or dealt with under a policy of a different name, for example Behaviour Improvement. Anti social behaviour can happen at any point in the school day – bad behaviour in lessons, vandalism in the playground or rowdy groups outside the shops on the way home from school are all anti social behaviour.
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