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  • Anti-social behaviour enforcement action and young people

Anti-social behaviour enforcement action and young people

Following earlier work on young people’s outdoor socialisation and the risks, problems and perceptions believed to be associated with this, Professor Peter Squires and Dr Dawn Stephen were commissioned by the East Brighton Communities project (EB4U) to undertake a study of the use of anti-social behaviour (ASB) management powers in respect of young people in the East Brighton area.

Project timeframe

This research project commenced in 2004 and ended in 2005.

Project aims

The aim of the project was to gather evidence about anti-social behaviour enforcement action and explore alternative understandings of the young, often disadvantaged, people who are the most frequent recipients of the ‘anti-social’ label.

Young people, families and professionals were interviewed and agency records accessed. The research found that social class, area disadvantage and a lack of opportunities were strongly associated with ASB complaints and the targeting of ASB/Acceptable behaviour interventions. While the families involved might be described as ‘vulnerable’ they were not ‘irresponsible’ or otherwise deficient or culpable fully; half of the young people targeted by the ASB interventions had clinical diagnoses relating to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or related syndromes.

Parents were often able to show reams of documentation recording their efforts to secure support for their children: their problems lay, primarily, in accessing appropriate services.
…offending behaviour may not be the result of simple malice, recklessness or neglect but, rather, a consequence of significant physical, psychological or emotional problems.

Professor Peter Squires

Project findings and impact

The research concluded that the ASB management interventions primarily addressed the symptoms of other problems and that an enforcement-led approach was largely ineffective, compounding problems rather than solving them.

This study fed into further research into the politics of antisocial behaviour. The problematisation of ASB and the criminalisation of social policy associated with enforcement-driven ASB strategies have been key concerns requiring critical analysis.

Research team

Professor Peter Squires

Dr Dawn Stephen

Output

Squires, P and Stephen, D (2005) Rethinking ASBOs Critical Social Policy, 25 (4). pp. 517-528.

Squires, P and Stephen, D (2005) Rougher justice: anti-social behaviour and young people G-reference, information and interdisciplinary subjects series . Willan Publishing, Devon, UK.

Stephen, D and Squires, P (2003) Community safety, enforcement and acceptable behaviour contracts: an evaluation of the work of the Community Safety Team in the east Brighton "New Deal for Communities" area University of Brighton, Health and Social Policy Research Centre, Brighton, UK.

Partner

East Brighton for you (eb4u)

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