Agencies Ignore Victims of Anti-Social Behaviour at their Peril

Legislation is ignored and victims of anti-social behaviour continue to be held at arm’s length, a new report finds.

Work undertaken by charity ASB Help identifies numerous failing with the ASB Case Review, also called the ASB Case Review, introduced as part of the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This power was designed to empower victims, enabling them to insist on a multi-agency case review to get results and stop the behaviour that was having such a devastating attack on their lives.

In practice, however, the process is fraught with problems. The key issues are that:

  • there is no-one taking overall ownership of the ASB Case Review or any aspect of anti-social behaviour from a victim perspective;
  • the ASB Case Review is inaccessible and unknown meaning that many victims who would be entitled to activate it are unaware of its existence;
  • there is great confusion over how to use the ASB Case Review with thresholds used that are contrary to the legislation; and
  • the statutory guidance was quietly updated on Christmas Eve 2017 missing an opportunity to promote the ASB Case Review and continues to be ignored.

One victim’s experience shows the impact of repeat, persistent anti-social behaviour and the problem victims continue to have in getting results:
“It took me 28 months to finally get rid of my antisocial neighbour just before Christmas. The stress and sleep deprivation he caused wrecked my mental and physical health. It was easier for the authorities to just ignore me than do something about him.”

Jennifer Herrera, Chief Executive Officer of ASB Help said: “Paying more attention to victims of anti-social behaviour through effective usage of the ASB Case Review will give them the protection and support they deserve. Yet it also has the potential to identify perpetrators and embrace early intervention which could help stem the tide of knife crime and other serious crime. We are appalled at the way victims continue to be fobbed off by agencies and left to suffer in silence with a hugely detrimental effect on their quality of life.”

Ends

About ASB Help

ASB Help is a national UK charity seeking to assist victims of anti-social behaviour as to their rights – who they should report the anti-social behaviour to and crucially, what to do if they do not get a satisfactory response. The charity is represented on the Home Office Anti-Social Behaviour Strategic Board.