• Homepage
• About us
• Our Work
• Capacity Building Your Organisation
• Client Groups
• Community Safety In Your Borough
• Community Safety & Crime Reduction
• Conference
• Consultancy
• CSAS Networks and events
• CSAS Training
• FADIS
• Hot Topics
  • Anti-Social Behaviour
    • Types of Anti-Social Behaviour
    • Common Enforcement Powers
    • Preventative Interventions
    • Risk Factors
  • Community Cohesion
  • Drugs and Crime
  • Environmental Crime
  • Guns, Gangs & Knives
  • Hate Crime
• CSAS Factsheets
• News
• Job Vacancies
• Resources & Links
• Enquiry Form
• Access keys
• Sitemap
• Site search

Types of Anti-Social Behaviour and Common Interventions

Various behaviours can be classed as anti-social and various ways have been devised by authorities to tackle them. Most ASB can be divided into one of the following three categories:

1. Street Problems
   
2. Nuisance Neighbours
   
3. Environmental Crime.

Street Problems

Intimidation, drunkenness, begging, public drug dealing, street prostitution and kerb-crawling are all street problems that fall under the definition of anti-social behaviour.

A number of new initiatives have been introduced alongside existing powers to tackle 'street problems'. These include:

• suspension and revocation of licences where there are problems with anti-social drinking
• confiscation of alcohol from underage drinkers by police
• allowing local authorities to designate places where drinking in public is forbidden
• allowing the police to designate areas where they can disperse groups who are or may act anti-socially
• fines of £50 or £80 for a range of disorder-related offences
• use of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) and injunctions to curb anti-social behaviour
• parenting orders, which require parents to take responsibility for their child(ren)'s actions

Nuisance Neighbours

Complaints about nuisance neighbours have increased significantly over recent years and they can have a big impact on the community around them.

Intimidation, harassment and vandalism are issues frequently raised. Rowdiness, loud music or televisions, and refusing to silence dogs that bark nonstop are also issues of concern that can impact upon quality of life.
A range of legislation exists to tackle nuisance neighbours:

• neighbours who make too much noise can be fined up to £5000 or have noisy equipment removed if warnings are ignored
• local authorities, the police and social landlords can now apply for anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)
•  social landlords can apply to the courts for a demoted tenancy, or even evict tenants in severe cases
• properties in which class A drugs are supplied or used can be closed by the police
• houses or businesses where persistent anti-social behaviour is reported could ultimately be closed and sealed by police or local authorities.

Environmental Crime

In the most recent British Crime Survey, respondents named vandalism and property damage as the most serious anti-social behaviour issues in their area. Environmental crime such as this can have a huge impact on communities and on how happy people are in them. It can also be expensive to clean up.

Environmental crime can include:

• fly-tipping - dumping household or commercial rubbish in private or communal areas
• littering - deliberately dropping litter on the streets
• graffiti - spray-painting or otherwise marking private property or communal areas like the sides of bus shelters and houses
• vandalism - damaging private property or communal facilities like telephone boxes or playground equipment

Local authorities have been given more power to take action against fly-tippers and vandals, abandoned vehicles and street traders. Restrictions have also been placed on the sale of spray paint, making it an offence for retailers to sell spray paint to anyone under the age of 16.

The London Local Authorities Act 2007 also allows local councils to designate certain areas as enforcement action zones, where higher fines can be imposed for a number of environmental crimes such as littering or graffiti.

More from CSAS