We have launched an online campaign to SAY NO to ASB as incidents on the rise and 43% of victims say it’s affected their mental health.
Antisocial behaviour (ASB) incidents have increased over the last three years. Police forces, councils and housing associations are reporting significant spikes in ASB cases – and these are not minor incidents. They are complex and serious cases causing real harm to many people.45% of people say ASB is a problem where they live and 56% of those who had either been a victim of or a witness to ASB, did not report it to anyone.* To help tackle the rise in ASB and reluctance to report it, we
have released a campaign encouraging people to SAY NO TO ASB. The campaign
supports people to recognise what is ASB is and what it isn’t, and encourages
them to record it, and report it to the correct authorities, before the situation escalates to outcomes that, in some extreme cases, can be life threatening.
John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network said “Recognising what antisocial behaviour is and what it isn’t can be subjective, which is why we have
worked closely alongside partner organsiations such as Resolve and ASB Help to develop clear guidance on recognising, recording and reporting antisocial behaviour.
Reporting antisocial behaviour early on is important to prevent it from escalating and potentially ruining lives and devastating communities.” To support victims in reporting incidents, we are encouraging people to record incidents in a downloadable 14-day diary.
Visit ourwatch.org.uk/asb to find out more about recognising, recording and reporting ASB.Antisocial behaviour (ASB) has a devastating impact on communities.There are particularly tragic cases you may have heard of, including Fiona Pilkington and Garry
Newlove, both in 2007. In her article “Living a Nightmare” the former Victim’s Commissioner, Baroness Helen Newlove told how a gang targeting her “ordinary street in an ordinary neighbourhood” with vandalism and violence, ultimately murdered her husband Garry, kicking him to death on his own doorstep in 2007.
Fiona Pilkington, a vulnerable single mother, complained to police 33 times about the
catalogue of abuse that her family suffered overa 10-year period. This included fires lit outside their home, people urinating on their fence, eggs and stones thrown at it, Fiona’s son Anthony being held at knife point in a garden shed, along with a torrent of bullying and verbal abuse. She eventually decided to end her life and that of her severely disabled 18 year old daughter, Francesca, by setting fire to a car they were both in.
Every case is tragic and vulnerable people continue to be tormented by what is often
perceived to be “low-level” or “petty” antisocial behaviour every day. They suffer significant emotional and physical harm, and in some cases, as shown above, sadly they lose their lives. Charlotte Hamilton Kay, Specialist Victim Project Manager at ASB Help said “It is important we understand that antisocial behaviour is often a culmination of incidents, a campaign of harassment that can chip away at our resolve, our mental health and ultimately our lives. We cannot continue to consider antisocial behaviour as “low-level”. It is symptomatic of a much bigger problem.”
The community’s role in tackling antisocial behaviour cannot be overstated. Having
an awareness of what it looks like in your neighbourhoods, what is being done about
it and how you can contribute to finding a resolution are fundamental. Your local authority Community Safety Partnership website should detail all the ways you can report antisocial behaviour, who to report it to and how you can help. They are there to protect you and should value your input in raising any issues you are facing.
Local authorities and the police have specific legislative tools and powers to address
antisocial behaviour, but they cannot do it without the invaluable contribution of victims and communities. Initiatives like Neighbourhood Watch and parish meetings are key in clarifying the nature of any issues in an area and allowing the sharing of information that will build a picture of the scale of the problem. Charlotte continued “In 2019 I was working as a Victim Services Caseworker in Derbyshire and took on a client who was experiencing what was deemed “low-level” antisocial behaviour
from a supported housing complex across the road.
He and his wife were elderly, and initially even they thought they were wasting
authorities’ time when they reported loud music, occasional public drunkenness and foul language. However, in making those reports, Local agencies were then able to see a pattern of incidents developing around the address. They cross referenced complaints and what my client perceived as him and his wife perhaps being hyper-sensitive, was corroborated by 12 other neighbours, and helped identify that the housing complex had a serious drug problem, had been vandalised, and the police were in attendance every day. Finally, a gang with machetes attacked one of the tenants. Fast forward 4 months and the police and local authority took out an emergency closure order on the premises.236 members of that community attended
a meeting after the closure, to share their experiences and support each other through what had been a huge trauma for many of them.
The community’s role in this case was integral to the success of the action taken.”
You are the eyes on the ground, you are the support system for your neighbours, and your Input could be the last piece of the puzzle in tackling a serious issue in your area. Who better to understand what a victim is going through than someone who is experiencing it too? But, perhaps more importantly, your efforts to protect and
support your own community could save someone’s life.
Visit ourwatch.org.uk/asb to find out more about recognising, recording and reporting ASB.