Anti-Social Behaviour and How It Affects the Entire Community - Term Paper Example

Does Controlling ASB Work? Do Anti-Social Behaviour Orders Work? Introduction It is inevitable that societies experience various forms of disorder from time to time. Such disorders are naturally caused by people who are driven to behave in a certain way that may cause chaos and numerous problems within the society as a whole. Anti-social behaviour, or ASB creates an unhealthy environment prone to problems such as crime. Such an environment may consist of neighbourhoods overcome by noise pollution and gangs, where abandoned cars, litter, and vandalism on walls and objects are not such an uncommon sight (Directgov, 2008) In addition to this, homeless individuals begging, teenagers drinking out in the open and drug dealing or buying also on the street are the usual sights to expect in such a rowdy neighbourhood (Home Office, 2008) These environments create an unpleasant area for human beings to live in, and living in such a place discourages growth, development and generally has a negative effect on an individual’s overall well-being. Unsightly and peace-disruptive problems are inevitable, but it does not mean that these problems cannot be controlled.   This paper would like to discuss about Anti-social behaviour and how it affects the entire community. This paper would also like to focus on the legislative aspect of such a controversial issue, how it relates to crime and what the law has done and is doing to make sure that communities finding themselves in such an environment are still put under control. Furthermore, the researcher has chosen the area of Greater Manchester as the main focus of this study and how this area deals with their own anti social behaviour dilemmas.   Anti-social Behaviours Anti-social behaviours are most common in children and adolescents who tend to violate social rules by negative conduct. Common acts of antisocial behaviours include lying, stealing, setting off fireworks late into the night, destroying objects, engaging in drug taking or alcohol abuse, engaging in violent fights, cruelty against other people and animals and also forcing sexual activities (Reid et al, 2002). Such behaviours are not only detrimental to the child or adolescent’s psychological well-being, but their behaviour also involves communities at large who may suffer the consequences because of these individuals. Therefore, it is necessary that such behaviour should be stopped before it is taken into adulthood (Knapp et al, 1999).   In the United Kingdom, there have been several cases where antisocial behaviours have caused chaos and distress. In 2005, Becky Smith, aged 16, suffered extreme concussion and nerve damage to both her legs. She was brought to hospital where she was unconscious. Apparently, she was beaten by a group of teenagers in Blackley, Manchester, who were influenced by scenes from popular television shows such as Jackass and Dirty Sanchez. In the said shows, scenes were shown of individuals engaging in ‘happy-slapping’ attacks where a random individual is picked from a crowd and assaulted, while someone else records a video of the entire incident. In the same area, it has been known that such attacks were quite popular among the students of Becky Smith’s Plant Hill High School. Under the Anti-social Behaviour Act of 2003, police have the authority to bring home individuals who have been behaving in a disordered manner (Jenkins, 2005).  The Anti-Social Behaviour Act  In 2003, the United Kingdom Act of Parliament created the Anti-social Behaviour Act, the jurisdiction of which applies to both England and Wales. It was in 2004 when the act came into play and since then it has been shrouded in controversy. There are two developments that follow the Anti-social Behaviour Act. The first one is the Anti-social Behaviour Contract, which is an agreement written on paper made between the local authority and a person who has behaved negatively, causing his/her community harm, distress, or alarm. The Anti-social Behaviour Contract, or ABC, was created to enable individuals to realize what anti-social behaviour is, and the effect that this has on other people. The ABC is first introduced to people at a young age, with the aim of actually discouraging such negative behaviour before it even starts. The ABC identifies what anti-social acts should not be committed, along with the consequences each act brings along (Clarke, 2003). The Anti-social Behaviour Order, or ABSO, on the other hand, is a civil order that has been implemented or made against an individual who has engaged in troubling behaviour that has caused problems for the community. It is a court order intended for the use of local authorities, including police officers and certain landlords who provide social housing, so that they can help the community by protecting it. However, the ASBO was intended for the peoples’ protection, and was not created to focus on punishing the trouble-making individual. For instance, one of the consequences of breaching the ASBO would be that the offender cannot repeat the same negative behaviour ever again, and also that he/she is banned from entering a certain area for at least 2 years (Millie, 2008). In other words, the ASBO is a criminal offence but it is not a criminal penalty, so offenders need not fear that they would be branded a criminal on their police record. It was created to make the entire British community aware of anti-social behaviour in their neighbourhood, and to report any if need be. The Anti-social Behaviour Act has given police officers the authority to designate certain areas as ‘dispersal zones,’ for a period of time leading to six months, particularly in areas where there have been cases of repeat antisocial behaviour by its inhabitants or neighbours. In such areas, it is the duty of the police to disperse people and group them into single groups or more, should they have behaved in a certain manner to cause alarm, distress, fear and harassment towards the community. In fact, in April 2006, an estimate 1,000 areas were already considered as dispersal zones in both England and Wales (Crawford, A. 2008).   Does It Work? In the year 2005, reports were rife that the Anti-social Behaviour Order was not working for the benefit of all individuals as it was intended for. Residents of the United Kingdom are torn whether they should believe that ASBOs have been doing the community some good. Apparently, in an article released by The Manchester Evening News, a large number of offenders served with anti-social behaviour orders do not breach the order’s stipulations. In fact, according to the report, more than 80 percent of previous offenders do not re-offend. However, a 17 percent of these same stubborn individuals just won’t quit and continue to cause the community harm and distress (Craig & Dillon, 2005) .  In addition to this, some officials and other individuals had started to take advantage of the ASBA and began arresting or reporting for minor behaviours or actions that my be ‘different’ or ‘strange,’ or downright ‘bothersome.’ Lawful forces had begun to use the Anti-social Behaviour Act for reasons that the Act was not aimed at. In other words, some members of the government started to take the ASBO for granted. The Manchester Council has been criticised for banning individuals who mean no real harm to the community but are banned anyway because a few individuals are bothered. For instance, a 16 year old boy who wore a hooded top was banned from wearing the same article of clothing for 5 years, while two men were also banned from using the word ‘grass,’ since some people thought it to mean drugs. A woman who was a prostitute was also served with an ASBO because she was caught carrying condoms in a certain area (Ahmed, 2006).   Complaints about the ASBO being useless were also quite common. In fact, some adolescents started to regard the ASBO as some sort of ‘badge of honour,’ and instead of being threatened by such an order, they were actually encouraged by it . (Peter, & Stephen, 2005) In fact, a chief superintendent from Greater Manchester publicly expressed his views against the ASBO, claiming that the only job the ASBO was doing was increasing the numbers of troubled youngsters behind bars. For instance, in 2007, seven youngsters who were issued with an ASBO because of issues regarding violence, did not learn. A few weeks later, the same youngsters committed the same racial acts of violence against Pakistani residents in the area (Davies, 2007). Apparently, the biggest flaws of the ASBO were that the order lacked tough punishment against offenders and the inability to actually change antisocial behaviour (Howie, 2008). For instance, the dispersal orders given to police officers to prevent offenders causing harm to their environment, generated effects such as moving the problems to a neighbouring area. In fact, in a neighbouring ‘dispersal zone,’ in 2008, crime involving criminal damages rose by 83 percent compared to the previous year, despite the efforts of the police. In addition to this fact, there was the risk that the young people who were dispersed away, may actually be dispersed from well-lit safe locations to areas where they may be actually more drawn to committing crime and behaving in an anti-social manner. Often, after the period of dispersion, the police would regularly hear calls from the public asking them to renew the order regarding the same offender. There is also the issue of offenders who refuse to follow the police officer’s orders. Since most of the offenders turn out to be young people, the dictating nature of a police gives them the notion that they are not being respected. This encourages the offenders to respond in an aggressive manner. However, if police officers were to explain to the young people the details and reasons of dispersal, and if the individual feels that he/she is being properly respected and listened to by the police officer, then compliance would be more likely (Crawford, 2008).   Commentary This writer thinks that this topic is important because what with the growing number of youngsters with access to technology and weapons, and more freedom to do what they want, it is important that ways be thought out to help these young people to stay off the streets. ASBOs do work in the sense that such an order allows British residents to be aware of what can be considered an offense to society and the community at large. Since most of the offenders are, as mentioned, young people, it is important that they be disciplined in a manner that is not exceptionally harsh, but at least serious enough so that they are made aware of the future consequences of misbehaviour. The ASBO is somewhat of a warning that lets offenders and potential offenders know that any form of anti-social behaviour is wrong and that it can destroy any environment and harm individuals who live in the same area. Such actions are unacceptable and without the ASBA and the ASBO, it would be somewhat difficult for all individuals to understand that. It is important for youngsters especially to realize that certain actions, certain habits, and certain behaviours cannot be carried onto adulthood. The ASBO contains a set of rules and regulations, which, when abided, an individual will never have to face penalties. In fact, it seems that it was created with the troublemaker youngster in mind. For instance, curfew orders are included in the ABSO, which play the role of keeping individuals off the streets during late hours, and therefore avoiding the occurrence of crime.   However, despite the positivity that the ASBO brings, it also has proved to be quite a headache for the government in the sense that most residents expect that it will solve all their problems. Police officials and council members are quick to note that the ASBO is, by no means, a miracle drug to society’s ills (Craig & Dillon, 2005). There will always be some people who will go against rules, and once punished, will again go against the same rules. For such individuals, this writer thinks that harsher punishments should be in order. As mentioned earlier in this paper, the ASBO is more like a warning than a threat. One of the main difficulties faced by the ASBOs is that they fail to actually change an offender’s attitude for the better. This writer agrees with this fact and thinks that despite the existence of the ASBOs, what offenders need, particularly young offenders is help from professionals who may either provide the offender with clinical treatment should he/she need one. There are also counsellors who exist to help these offenders busy doing more productive things so that they do not while away their time on the streets where they are exposed to crime and prone to actually being a criminal. A breach of the ASBOs are punishable by fines that can go as high as £5000, and even five years in jail should the offender be of legal age and is an adult (Travis, 2005). Therefore, there are offenders who are not afraid of the ASBO and its stipulations, and are not afraid of the consequences of their actions, particularly the juveniles. In such cases, this writer suggests that the list of orders included in the ASBO and their penalties be constantly reviewed, with some penalties more difficult or stricter. To add to this, the writer would also like to suggest that police officers and citizens be made fully aware of the stipulations of the ASBO so that innocent individuals do not have to go through ordeals of being reported, arrested and punished for something that is really not an offense.   Moreover, this writer believes that as long as such Acts of Parliament such as the ASBA and orders such as the ASBO exist, then the nation is well on its way to development. Development is never perfect, and there will always be individuals who cannot and will not behave accordingly. The ASBO was not created to please everybody. It was created to help everybody, and help it will, with everybody’s cooperation. References Ahmed, A. 2006, ‘Manchester: An ASBO oasis,’ retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://www.communitycare.co.uk/Articles/2006/05/18/54045/manchester-an-asbo-oasis.html Clarke, D. 2003, ‘Pro-social and anti-social behaviour,’ Routledge. Craig, I. & Dillon, M. 2005, ‘ASBOs do work, says research,’ The Manchester Evening News, retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/146/146771_asbos_do_work_says_research.html Crawford, A. 2008, ‘Young people, police and dispersal powers,’ Community Journal, Vol. 7, Issue 2, pp. 1-5. Crawford, A., 2008, ‘Dispersal powers and the symbolic role of anti-social behaviour legislation,’ The Modern Law Review, pp. 753-784 Davies, A. 2007, ‘Police chief: ASBOs ‘not working,’ retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/law_order/police+chief+asbos+not+working/785252 Directgov, 2008, ‘Anti social behaviour,’ retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://direct.gov.uk/en/CrimeJusticeAndTheLaw/CrimePrevention/DG_4001652 Home Office, 2008, ‘Creating better environments- Anti social behaviour,’ retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/anti-social-behaviour/what-is-asb/ Howie, W. 2008, ‘Asbos aren’t working, says expert,’ retrieved from January 22 2009 from http://news.scotsman.com/latestnews/Asbos-aren39t-working-says-expert.4329444.jp Jenkins, R. 2005, ‘Happy-slap gang put girl in hospital,’ The Times, p. 29. Knapp, M., Scott, S., & Davies, J. 1999, ‘The cost of antisocial behaviour in younger children,’ Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 4. Pp. 457-473. Millie, A. 2008, ‘Anti-social behaviour,’ pp. 147-201. Peter, S. & Stephen, D. 2005, ‘Rougher justice: anti-social behaviour and young people,’ Willan Publishing. Reid, J. Patterson, G. & Snyder, J. 2002, ‘Antisocial behaviour in children and adolescents: a developmental analysis and the Oregon model for intervention,’ American Psychological Association. Travis, A. 2005, ‘ASBOs soar by 85 % with Manchester at top of list,’ The Guardian, retrieved on January 22 2009 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/nov/04/ukcrime.prisonsandprobation Read More