News

The government needs not only to be tough on antisocial behaviour, but also tough on the causes of it, according to research published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation today, writes Clare Jerrom.

The study, which looked at public attitudes towards antisocial behaviour, concluded that national and local antisocial behaviour strategies needed to strike a balance between enforcement and prevention.

It also warned that more care was needed in defining antisocial behaviour and determining limits on the use of civil remedies.

Researchers from King’s College in London who carried out the research found that issues relating to children and young people caused particular concern and people were worried about drug and alcohol misuse.

The research concentrated on three case study neighbourhoods and people blamed antisocial behaviour on:-

· Social and moral decline

· Disengaged youth and families

· ‘Kids will be kids’ attitudes.

The first two perspectives assumed that problems of antisocial behaviour were getting worse because of a generalised process of decline or because of the increasing disengagement of a minority of young people and their families.

However, the third group did not think that the problem was getting worse, but suggested that the context of youthful misbehaviour was changing.

As a result, the different perspectives on antisocial behaviour implied different solutions. While those who thought it was a consequence of declining moral standards favoured tough discipline, those who saw it as a result of deprivation and social exclusion preferred prevention and inclusion.

For more information go to http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings/housing/0305.asp