Guidance

Anti-social behaviour principles

Updated 27 March 2023

The Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board has developed a set of principles which seek to describe a consistent approach to understanding and addressing antisocial behaviour in local communities. The principles are not intended to fetter local decision making but rather to act as a guide in seeking to deliver the best possible outcomes for victims of antisocial behaviour.

1. Victims should be encouraged to report antisocial behaviour and expect to be taken seriously. They should have clear ways to report, have access to help and support to recover, and be given the opportunity to choose restorative approaches to tackling antisocial behaviour.

2. Agencies will have clear and transparent processes to ensure that victims can report antisocial behaviour concerns, can understand how the matter will be investigated and are kept well informed of progress once a report is made.

3. Agencies and practitioners will work across boundaries to identify, assess and tackle antisocial behaviour and its underlying causes. Referral pathways should be clearly set out between services and published locally. This includes pathways for the anti-social behaviour case review and health services.

4. The public’s antisocial behaviour concerns should always be considered both nationally and locally in strategic needs assessments for community safety. Best practice should be shared through a network of antisocial behaviour experts within each community safety partnership, each policing area and nationally.

5. Adults and children who exhibit antisocial behaviour should have the opportunity to take responsibility for their behaviour and repair the harm caused by it. Agencies should deliver appropriate interventions, which may include criminal justice options, based on the seriousness, risks and vulnerabilities of the case.

The Home Office chairs the Anti-social Behaviour Strategic Board, which brings together a range of partners and representatives from relevant agencies and government departments to work together to identify and assess strategic issues relating to antisocial behaviour and share information and good practice in order to support an effective multi-agency response to antisocial behaviour.

The principles have been endorsed by:

• ASB Help
• Association of Police and Crime Commissioners
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Historic England
• Home Office
• Local Government Association
• National Fire Chiefs Council
• National Police Chiefs’ Council
• Resolve
• Victims’ Commissioner
• Welsh Government

Audience for the principles

The principles are designed to be used by any agency or partner involved in tackling antisocial behaviour, for example, local authorities, community safety partnerships, police forces, health agencies, housing associations, civil society organisations, police and crime commissioners and any other agency involved in the process right from the moment an incident has occurred through to case closure and victim support. We recognise that depending on the service an agency provides, some principles might not be applicable. It is for individual agencies and local areas to take a position on which principles apply to them.

Combating antisocial behaviour involves many different partners at local level and we hope that they will apply the principles.

Implementing the principles

The principles seek to describe a consistent approach to understanding and addressing antisocial behaviour in local communities. The principles are not intended to fetter local decision making but rather to act as a guide in seeking to deliver the best possible outcomes for victims of antisocial behaviour. They are endorsed by the Anti-social behaviour Strategic Board and are also reflective of the antisocial behaviour statutory guidance. We encourage partners to assess local practice against the standard outlined in the principles.