When antisocial behaviour orders (Asbos) were introduced under the Crime and Disorder Act in 1998, no-one would have predicted how they would become closely associated with loutish teenage behaviour. The orders were intended originally to be issued to children and young people only in exceptional circumstances. But official government figures show that 1,555 - more than one in three - were given to 11- to 18-year-olds in 2005.
Some police forces and local authorities, such as Manchester City Council, have made heavy use of the orders, using them as a metaphorical slap on the wrist in their quest to reduce anti-social behaviour. But others have widely avoided their use, worried about stigmatising young people who may have complex needs.
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