Policy & Practice: Soapbox - The trouble with using antisocialbehaviour orders

The primary focus of youth courts is to prevent reoffending, whereas adult courts are punishment-led. But ASBOs fail to make this distinction.

Antisocial behaviour has a destructive effect on communities and many young people are victims themselves. It can be easy to talk about the impact of ASBOs on the offender while forgetting that that person has made other people's lives uncomfortable and unpleasant.

So it should be remembered that if one in three ASBOs are breached, then perhaps two-thirds have alleviated the suffering of communities. But there are problems with ASBOs.

They do need to be more flexible - currently they must last at least two years, but two years is a long time in a teenager's life. Orders should also only be used to target antisocial behaviour. If a crime has been committed, then the young person should be charged with that offence.