ANTI-SOCIAL BEHAVIOUR
Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) covers a range of thoughtless, inconsideration activity, including criminal damage and public place violent crime, which has the potential to blight the quality of community life for all who live and work in Horsham District. (If you would like to participate in an ASB survey, the results will be published in April 2010)
When repeated over a period of time ASB can depress people’s pride and confidence in their community, contributing to a sense of fear and vulnerability and if left unchecked can lead to more serious offences.
There are no excuses for ASB, but in many circumstances there are ways to prevent it from occurring. Responsible parenting, a broad range of local social and leisure facilities, respect for others and good community police support work must provide the background upon which progress can be made.
It is the function of the ASB Team (comprising two caseworkers and an administrator) to consider cases of anti-social behaviour where persons responsible have been identified. Depending upon the circumstances the ASB team have a broad range of options and partner organisations to call upon which include both support for people along with enforcement measures all designed to modify unacceptable behaviour. The following gives an overview of these support measures and enforcement .
For further information please contact the ASB Team on 0845 60 70 999 ext 30233.
DIVERSIONARY ACTIVITIES AND INTERVENTIONS
Revolution
Understanding Teenage Behaviour Course
Prison Visits
Crime Diversion Programme
Mentoring Programme
Youth Service
Youth Support Team
Revolution:
The Revolution course is offered to groups of young people (14 to 16 years old) who currently display behaviour traits that are causing concern and have brought them to the attention of the authorities engaged with Horsham District Council’s Anti-Social Behaviour Team. They can include social services, schools, youth clubs and Sussex Police.
Through outdoor activities such as abseiling and rock climbing, and group work sessions, young people will be given an opportunity to learn more about themselves and what motivates their behaviour. Cognitive behaviour therapy techniques are used alongside the experience of outdoor adventure.
The main aims of the course are as follows:
- To develop self-belief and impulse control
- To develop self-discipline and self esteem
- To develop personal responsibility and awareness boundaries
- Develop communication skills
- Develop role definition in a small group and the ability to follow instructions
- Help young people learn to manage anxiety and overcome personal fear
The main objective of the project is to reduce the incidents of anti-social behaviour to both young people and others affected by the consequences. This is achieved by enabling individuals to identify and address the reasons behind their negative behaviour.
Understanding Teenage Behaviour Course:
This 6 week course aims to give parents the techniques needed to most effectively deal with and control their teenager's behaviour. This is done through exploring the reasons why both parents and teenagers act and think the way they do, challenging perceptions and setting boundaries.
Prison Visits:
Enable young offenders to talk to inmates and gain an understanding of the realities of prison life and the impact that crime can have on their families and the community.
Crime Diversion Programme:
This scheme aims to reduce the number of juveniles re-offending following a police caution or reprimand from theft from shops. There are specific criteria that need to be met to enable the young person to participate in the scheme. They need to be 17 years or younger, have stolen less than £300 worth of goods, non-violent and have no Police record.
Mentoring Programme:
This scheme is aimed at young people, highlighted by the anti-social behaviour process and is administered by a dedicated team based at Horsham Police Station. Run by Horsham District Council as part of the Horsham District Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, the programme works by linking the youngsters with young adults who are in a position to spend at least 3 to 4 concentrated hours a week offering advice and time that may not be available elsewhere. A mentor will spend anything from 6 to 18 weeks building a positive relationship with the young person engaging with them on neutral territory and participating in positive activity such as pool, bowling or swimming.
Youth Service:
The Youth Service is there to support you move from childhood to adulthood. So, if you are between the ages of 11-25, you can access the Youth Service
Youth Support Team (YST)
The YST aims to provide advice and information to young people as well as increase their awareness of support networks available to them. Teams of trained volunteers work with the 100-150 young people that gather in Horsham Park on a Friday night and are easily identifiable with branded clothing. They are also equipped with activities and resources, first aid kits, mobile phones and torches. The teams engage with young people on issues that matter to them with a view to giving advice, support and signposting to other agencies. Popular topics of conversation include education, drugs, alcohol and health.
The importance of tackling ASB has been reflected in recent government legislation. The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 introduced, amongst other measures, the heavily publicised Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBO’s) to protect the public from behaviour that causes or is likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress, and their use was streamlined in the Police Reform Act 2002.
Part of the ASB Team’s remit is to ensure that appropriate enforcement action is taken against individuals that are causing “harassment, alarm or distress” to others in the community. This staged process includes:
ASBOs
ABCs
Yellow Cards
Anti-Social Behaviour Team
Child Curfew Schemes
Child Safety Orders
Dispersal Orders
Detention and Training Orders
Mediation
Parenting Orders
Reparation Orders
Truancy Orders
ASBOs:
Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are court orders which forbid specific threatening or intimidating actions.
ABCs:
An acceptable behaviour contract (ABC), also known as an acceptable behaviour agreement, is an intervention designed to engage the individual in recognising their behaviour and its negative effects on others, in order to stop the offending behaviour.
Yellow Cards:
Horsham District Council's Street Scene Wardens and Neighbourhood Wardens use yellow card warning tickets as one means of dealing with anti-social behaviour. At the time of an incident, the warden will record details of the person involved and the situation and will complete a yellow warning card. As the wardens work closely with the Anti-Social Behaviour Team, they will pass on all copies of yellow cards to them and a copy will also be issued to the person at the time of the incident. If appropriate a warning letter will be sent to the individual involved or their parents in the case of under 18 year olds. If there are three separate incidents the team will then arrange to meet with the young person and their guardians to discuss their behaviour and to ascertain what measures are needed to deter future incidents.
Anti-Social Behaviour Team:
The District's first Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) Team was appointed in 2003. It was established as a means of developing a multi-agency, solutions focussed approach to ASB in the District. Research shows that for the majority of ASB incidents, there are only a minority of people responsible. With the help of Police, PCSO's and Wardens (who have been accredited under the Police Reform Act 2002), measures are now in place to deal with these repeat offenders and the ASB Team are able to minimise the total amount of ASB in the District.
Child Curfew Schemes:
A child curfew scheme is designed to tackle the anti-social behaviour of groups of children and young people without involving the juvenile justice court system.
Child Safety Orders:
A child safety order (CSO) only applies to children below the age of criminal responsibility (10). The CSO is not a punishment. It is designed to help the child improve their behaviour and is likely to be used alongside work with the family and others to address any underlying problems.
Dispersal Orders:
Dispersal Orders enable a senior police officer to designate an area where there is persistent anti-social behaviour and a problem with groups causing intimidation. This area could be as small as a cash point or shopping arcade where groups often gather, or it could be as wide as a whole local authority area, as long as there is evidence of anti-social behaviour. The local authority must also agree to the designation, usually this decision will be made as part of the strategic work of a Crime and Disorder Partnership.
Detention and Training Orders:
The Detention and Training Order (DTO) sentences a young person to custody. It can be given to 12 to 17 year olds. The length of the sentence can be between four months and two years.
Mediation:
Mediation is a way of helping people to resolve their disagreements with the assistance of an independent third party - the mediator.
Parenting Orders:
Parenting Orders can be given to the parents/carers of young people who offend, truant or who have received a Child Safety Order, Anti-Social Behaviour Order or Sexual Offences Prevention Order. It does not result in the parent/carer getting a criminal record.
Reparation Orders:
Reparation Orders are designed to help young offenders understand the consequences of their offending and take responsibility for their behaviour.
Truancy Orders:
Education-related parenting orders are primarily designed to promote better school attendance and behaviour which is essential to improve a child’s educational prospects and avoid putting them at risk of criminal or anti-social behaviour. They also encourage parents to take responsibility for their child’s behaviour in school. The orders provide help and support for parent(s) or carer(s) to address their child's behaviour.