SG2043- Key Issues in Criminolog
Lecture 5
The Anti-social Behaviour Agenda
, LECTURE OVERVIEW
❖What is ‘anti-social’ behaviour?
❖How has/is it (been) responded
to?
❖‘Anti-social’ behaviour and/as
‘youth crime’ + examples
,WHAT IS ‘ANTI-SOCIAL’ BEHAVIOUR?
❖Behaviour that is likely to cause nuisance/discomfort in publi
loud/ ‘noisy’ conversation/music (e.g. ‘sodcasting’)
❖Specific use(s) of public space, minor ‘incivilities’, ‘disorderly’
conduct: ‘loitering’, littering, drinking (alcohol),
skateboarding/parkour, graffiti writing, abusive/intimidating
language
❖The product of legal (=political?) definitions of what is/isn’t
acceptable behaviour in public and who is allowed to be/do w
public
,HOW HAS IT BEEN RESPONDED TO?
Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOS):
❖Introduced in 1998 as part of the New Labour Government’s C
and Disorder Act
❖Civil orders that last a minimum of 2 years. Their breach is a
criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of 5 years
❖Intended for behaviour “likely to cause harassment, alarm or
distress to one or more persons not of the same household” (C
& Disorder Act, 1998)
, HOW IS IT RESPONDED TO?
ASBOS:
❖A Civil Order of the court
… BUT…
❖Criminal sanctions follow, if an ASBO is breached: 6 months
years of imprisonment and fines (can) follow
❖Easy to breach -> Turned into a ‘criminal’ offence. A case of
criminalisation by the back door?
,HOW IS IT RESPONDED TO?
Criminal Behaviour Orders (CBOS):
❖The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act of 2014 replaced
ASBO with the CBO
❖There are differences between the two, but their overall impact is
similar although CBOs depict anti-social behaviour as a criminal off
a more direct manner
❖Can be imposed on any person over the age of 10
❖CBOs are an order, a command, an instruction rather than a sente
but breaching a CBO is itself a criminal offence (CPS, 2018)
, EXAMPLE
❖CBOs require drill rappers to inform the police 24 hours in advance
intention to publish any videos online, also demanding that they give a
warning of the date and locations of any planned live performance.
❖Such “ancillary orders”, as they are known, also prevent suspects from ass
with certain people, entering designated areas, wearing hoods, or usin
media and unregistered mobile phones.
❖The police also request the removal of drill music videos from YouTu
monitor the playing of UK drill music on air, by requesting radio stations to
drill tracks from their playlists (Fatsis, 2019; 2021; 2023a;2023b)
