Over a third of under-17s issued with an anti-social behaviour
order have a diagnosed mental health disorder or learning
difficulty, new research suggests.
A survey of antisocial behaviour officers and youth offending
teams by the British Institute for Brain Injured
Children reveals that Yot officers reported special needs or a
learning difficulty in 38 per cent of their cases, including
conditions such as autism and depression.
By contrast, ASB officers reported that just 5 per cent of their
cases had special needs or a learning difficulty.
BIBIC chief executive Julie Spencer-Congoz warned that a failure
to understand these children's underlying difficulties had meant
they had often been given orders they did not understand and could
not keep.
"Without specialist help they are set up to fail, and a breach
of an Asbo is a criminal offence," Spencer-Congoz said. "This is
the wrong way to be treating vulnerable young people. Asbos are
failing both the young offenders and the communities they are
supposed to protect."
Further
information
Mental Health
