How to report antisocial behaviour
Overview
Antisocial behaviour is behaviour that causes harassment, alarm or distress to other people.
Local police, councils and social housing landlords work together to deal with antisocial behaviour. They do this differently in different areas.
What counts as antisocial behaviour
Antisocial behaviour can include both criminal and non-criminal behaviour, for example:
- noise
- verbal abuse, harassment and threats
- drug use or drug dealing
- causing a nuisance to neighbours
- vandalism
- graffiti
- fly-tipping and littering
- discarding syringes or needles
It’s not usually antisocial behaviour if it involves things like:
- neighbourhood disputes
- issues involving bins or parking
- one-off incidents
Who to report antisocial behaviour to
Who you report antisocial behaviour to depends on the type of behaviour it is and where it takes place.
Report it to:
- the police - if you feel threatened or you think the behaviour could be breaking the law
- your council - if it affects your local area
- your landlord - if you live in a council or housing association home and it’s happening in or near your building
There’s a different way to report antisocial behaviour in Scotland and in Northern Ireland.
Reporting other serious problems
Some serious issues can be mistaken for antisocial behaviour. For example:
- frequent arguments or shouting from adults could be domestic abuse
- children making frequent noise could be a safeguarding issue like abuse or neglect
There are different ways to:
Call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger, or if the crime is in progress.