NCJ Number
211791
Date Published
2005
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This chapter examines how British criminal justice agencies can identify antisocial behavior; and once recognized, how it can be managed within community settings.
Abstract
The British Criminal Justice Act 1998 defines an "antisocial" act as behavior "that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm, or distress to one or more persons not of the same household as himself." This can encompass such wide-ranging behaviors as using and selling drugs, harassment, graffiti, verbal abuse, damage to property, excessive noise, alcohol abuse, prostitution, intimidation, and criminal behavior. Whether or not some behaviors can be termed antisocial involves subjective assessments; thus, behavior viewed as antisocial in one community may be normative in another community. This chapter considers issues in the measurement of antisocial behavior, the distinction between antisocial and criminal behavior, and longitudinal studies that have examined the onset and maintenance of antisocial behavior over time. Risk-needs assessment is also discussed as a means of identifying criminogenic needs and risk factors for future offending. The features of specific risk-needs assessment instruments are described. Initiatives developed in Great Britain to address antisocial and offending behavior include the enactment of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and the Anti-Social Behavior Act 2003, which provide local authorities and police with a number of prevention and enforcement measures. These measures could be used with juveniles to address cumulative sub-criminal acts. Some examples of the intervention schemes used in England and Wales are provided. These include Youth Inclusion Programs, which target high-risk youths, and Acceptable Behavior Contracts, which serve as early warnings to individuals that their behavior is unacceptable, but without resorting to court intervention. The enforcement of Antisocial Behavior Orders and Parenting Orders is also discussed. 39 references