The Labour Government has been battling against antisocial behaviour since it came to power in 1997, notably through punitive measures such as the antisocial behaviour order, which was created in 1999 and has since been used about 6,500 times in England and Wales.
Last week it chose to launch the softer edge of its drive against nuisance behaviour, in the form of its Respect Action Plan. The Government says this is about getting to the root causes of antisocial behaviour - the underlying social problems that drive people to live their lives in a way that is offensive to others.
For some this was a stunt. The Children's Society dismissed it, saying the plan "fails to offer much more than a cocktail of policies that have already been launched, minor tweaks to existing antisocial behaviour measures, and shock tactics". Others, however, felt there is some worth in the proposals.
Register Now to Continue Reading
Thank you for visiting Children & Young People Now and making use of our archive of more than 60,000 expert features, topics hubs, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:
What's Included
-
Free access to 4 subscriber-only articles per month
-
Email newsletter providing advice and guidance across the sector
Already have an account? Sign in here
