Introduction
Resolve has partnered with the Local Government Association (LGA) research team, to conduct a survey of all councils in England and Wales, asking them to share their views on anti-social behaviour (ASB). This provides evidence for our asks to government and helps solidify the importance of lobbying for better practice in anti-social behaviour. Local government plays a key role in tackle anti-social behaviour (ASB), with the challenges present for local government, and the continued focus on devolution from Westminster, it is more important than ever to relate the challenges local authorities face when dealing with anti-social behaviour.
Adult versus Youth ASB
One of Resolve’s asks for government is focused on the idea that early action is better, the idea a preventative policy approach focused on mediation, restorative justice, mentoring, and a focus on community leadership and ownership. Engaging with young people is a particularly important part of this, as young people are the most susceptible, and the most vulnerable to anti-social behaviour. It is therefore alarming that data from Table 28 to Table 33 shows an alarming data problem with young people and anti-social behaviour. The first example is the disparity between Table 28 and 29, in which there is a noticeable difference between what percentage of young people related ASB, and adult related ASB has been fully investigated and closed in the last 12 months. With 2/5 of respondents answering ‘don’t know’ for how many young people related ASB has been fully investigated and closed. This data gap represents a glaring problem in how we investigate youth ASB.
This is furthered by the lack of knowledge on the age ranges of young people related ASB fully investigated and closed in the last 12 months, referenced on Table 30. Of those surveyed, a miniscule amount answered that it was around 7-10 years old, with 11-14 years taking the majority (32%) followed by 15-17 years (22%). However, strikingly 45% did not know the age range. This is exacerbated by the huge lack of knowledge on young people in mainstream education. 63% of total respondents answered that they did not know what percentage of young people were in attendance in mainstream education. This paints a picture of poor partnership working and a lack in understanding as to how important youth is to anti-social behaviour preventative measures. A lack of attendance in mainstream education is one of the main signifiers of both poverty, and an increasing likelihood of both experiencing, and perpetrating anti-social behaviour (Gunter and Makinson, 2023). For example, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) reported that the latest data highlights how the number of severely absent pupils has more than doubled since 2019 (The Centre for Social Justice, 2023). This is made more worrying by research from the Department of Education and Ministry of Justice analysed by the CSJ finds persistently absent pupils to be ‘more than three times as likely to commit an offence by aged 17 than pupils fully attending school’. Findings from the university of Strathclyde note that school absences are associated with lower education attainment and a greater likelihood of non-employment at age 42 (Dräger, Klein and Sosu, 2023). This is all exacerbated by the reality that children that are absentee from school are likely to be from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds (Dräger, Klein and Sosu, p.2, 2023) increasing social stratification. Those from disadvantage backgrounds are more likely to experience anti-social behaviour, and therefore carry the insidious effects it can have on individuals (Home Office, 2023).
As a result, the absence of how much we don’t know on the specifics in terms of the youth is extremely telling as to the problems we face around early intervention. Intervention as a policy agenda ebbs and flows, however it largely remains outside of government due to its counter intuitive desired effects on government. To achieve the preventative agenda, it is recommended to be clear on what intervention is necessary and to communicate this. In this light, further knowledge on this area is undoubtedly essential in supporting the prevention agenda, particularly around ASB (Cairney, 2024).
County court delays and challenges
Another of the key asks is the call for a ‘specialist housing court pilot’, this has the potential to resolve three main issues around capacity, efficiency and knowledge, understanding that housing cases are often complex including vulnerabilities. It is therefore important to recognise that the data supports the resounding consensus that a creation of a specialist housing court is the right direction for making ASB case resolutions. One of the key aspects of these courts would be to streamline an already crumbling court system. What is often not articulated is why the efficiency of the court system is important not only for victims, but also in a sense, perpetrators.
Referenced on Table 18 is the challenges faced when dealing with ASB cases in the current court system, an overwhelming number of respondents (86%) stated that challenges around mental health, and a lack of engagement from mental health services was a key reason as to why respondents faced challenges. Increasing court delays compound previous vulnerabilities and can victimise more who seek to gain justice. Not only this, but evidence suggest that lengthy court proceedings, including a lack of restoration of justice for victims, can decrease trust in institutions, regardless of if those institutions are directly responsible (Baird, n.d.). An ever-growing distrust and malaise around authority and institutions can create discontent and foster a sense of distrust and suspicion, which therefore makes victims less likely to report ASB, which leads to ASB continuing to be under reported, and therefore further misunderstood as a phenomenon. This is an unhealthy paradox which makes it more difficult for institutions to tackle the root cause of ASB. Tackling delays in the court system is therefore a vital priority supported by the data, and one that fits a preventative agenda.
Further problems are highlighted in the further data present in table 18, the challenge of ‘confusion around enforcement actions to be taken around some types of anti-social behaviour’, was over half of all respondents (62%). This echoes a lack of understanding of the nuances in anti-social behaviour, one of the common themes quoted in the research was difficulty in defining ASB, whether an action is anti-social behaviour, a crime or something else entirely. This suggests a common misunderstanding of the types of anti-social behaviour and what subsequent enforcement is appropriate. This is corroborated by subsequent data, Table 25, where certain actions are used overwhelmingly compared to others. For example, Community protection notices (CPN), Community protection warnings (CPW) and Injunctions are the anti-social actions that are reported externally. It is assumed that local authorities will largely only share actions they are confident in or has closed. Therefore, it is suggested there is a lack of understanding on the wider ASB toolkit, and a lack of understanding in application. Our calls for a national, long-term communications campaign, focused on the frequency and quality of communications is therefore arguably strengthened by such data. Better national communication could help strengthen the local approach.
The lack of reporting of early intervention referrals such as mediation and drug and alcohol also highlight a problem again highlighted in early intervention approaches, if it is a case of lack of reporting, then there is therefore a disparity it what external organisations are aware of, how useful and how effective these referrals are, is lost if not reported. Again, this data shows a lack of early intervention practice, if we are to accept for a preventative policy agenda to succeed, it must be understood easily, for each of its steps to be communicated, then this data highlights a lack of this approach. Mediation is shown to have great effects on both parties, for victims to receive clarity and understanding, and for perpetrators to take accountability. Of course, there is a concern that a lot of these services are strained, and that is understood as another one of the key themes of the survey. However, all services that are present should be utilised as much as possible, and to avoid more reactive enforcement options.
Conclusion
Alongside a national gathering of data, this research report from the LGA helps seek to solidify Resolve’s ask of government. We reiterate our calls for a national communications campaign, specialist housing court, greater preventative measures, ongoing victim support, and information sharing agreements. The data highlights a disparity in what measures are being implemented, and the reasons why. Above all, it is necessary to stress a focus on a preventative policy agenda, and better partnership working and sharing.
References
Baird, D.V. (n.d.). Justice Select Committee: Inquiry into Court Capacity, the Impact of Delay and how it can be Managed Written evidence from the Victims’ Commissioner for England and Wales. [online] Available at: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/12771/pdf/.
Cairney, P. (2024). Unlocking the potential of preventive policy. [online] Paul Cairney: Politics & Public Policy. Available at: https://paulcairney.wordpress.com/2024/11/01/unlocking-the-potential-of-preventive-policy/ [Accessed 13 Nov. 2024].
Dräger, J., Klein, M. and Sosu, E. (2023). The long-term consequences of early school absences for educational attainment and labour market outcomes the long-term consequences of early school absences for educational attainment and labour market outcomes. [online] Available at: https://pure.strath.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/155044825/Drager_etal_EdArXiv_2023_The_long_term_consequences_of_early_school_absences_for_educational_attainment.pdf.
Gunter, T. and Makinson, L. (2023). School attendance: analysing causes and impact in pursuit of solutions. [online] nesta. Available at: https://www.nesta.org.uk/report/school-attendance-analysing-causes-and-impact-in-pursuit-of-solutions/.
Home Office (2023). Anti-social behaviour: impacts on individuals and local communities. [online] GOV.UK. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impacts-of-anti-social-behaviour-on-individuals-and-communities/anti-social-behaviour-impacts-on-individuals-and-local-communities.
The Centre for Social Justice (2023). School absence risks tidal wave of youth crime, CSJ analysis reveals. [online] The Centre for Social Justice. Available at: https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/newsroom/school-absence-risks-tidal-wave-of-youth-crime-csj-analysis-reveals.
