Chris Stanley, head of youth crime at Nacro, the crime reduction charity, said there was "little research available on the effectiveness of Asbos in tackling young people's behaviour", but the Government seemed intent on "encouraging local authorities to dish out more, regardless of the long-term results".
Asbos should always be used as a last resort, he added. "We believe the best chance of reducing anti-social behaviour is via a combination of approaches including enforcement, prevention and education."
Chris Chaston, policy officer for the young people's charity Rainer, also questioned the effectiveness of Asbos. "More than a third are breached and young people are being stigmatised without getting the intensive, preventative support they need to change the way they live," he said.
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
