New survey data on perceptions of anti-social behaviour published

06 January 2010

- Shows residents most affected have seen increased police presence and youth services -
- But Ministers say still more to be done to tackle anti-social behaviour in every community -
Ministers today welcomed news that residents in the areas most affected by youth anti-social behaviour have noticed an increase in police presence and extra activities to keep young people off the streets since the launch of the Youth Crime Action Plan.

The Youth Taskforce survey also shows broad support for the Government’s approach with 80 per cent saying more positive activities for young people and confiscating alcohol is the right thing to do and 90 per cent felt it was a good idea to make alcohol more difficult to buy.

But Ministers stressed more needs to be done to impose tough sanctions and offer non-negotiable support, as the survey also shows that just over two thirds of people in the 69 priority areas think anti-social behaviour has stayed the same or got better, with just over a quarter saying anti-social behaviour has got worse.

Children’s Secretary Ed Balls and Schools Minister Vernon Coaker will today visit Limehouse Youth Centre in East London to highlight the Government’s progress in tackling anti-social behaviour and youth crime over the last two years in 69 priority areas. Ministers will also meet with young people and members of the community who have benefited from Government initiatives to tackle anti-social behaviour.

Other figures also show that:
 Street based teams have dealt with over 86,000 young people at risk in priority areas, redirecting them to support services and positive activities
 Since 2008, 28,000 disruptive young people have faced tough measures and support to tackle their behaviour through Challenge and Support projects, with 2165 Acceptable Behaviour Contracts and 313 Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued
 517 young people have benefitted from targeted and persistent support through our Intensive Intervention Projects.
 Recent data from the British Crime Survey shows that concerns about teenagers hanging around have dropped by 3 per cent over the last two years.

These highlight a significant step forward since the introduction of the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) in 2008 which has speeded up progress in tackling anti-social behaviour and youth crime.

Ed Balls said:
“Over the last two years, the Government has made good progress in tackling anti-social behaviour and youth crime in areas across the country. But we know that challenges remain. We are clear that there are firm boundaries and clear consequences for those who overstep them – but support for young people and their families who try to turn their lives around.

“It’s good to see from today’s Youth Taskforce Survey that most people in those areas where youth crime is particular problem feel we are tackling the causes of the issues that matter in their community. However it is also clear that there is still a lot of hard work to do to make sure no local residents are troubled by anti-social behaviour.”

Home Secretary Alan Johnson said:
“We are determined to tackle youth crime and drive down anti-social behaviour which ruins lives and damages our communities and I’m pleased our work is having an impact in the 69 intensive Youth Crime Action Plan areas.

“We are working across the country to support local areas in tackling anti-social behaviour specifically including extending Victim Support services, encouraging areas to set and publicise minimum standards of service, stepping up action on ASBO breaches, and providing targeted support and challenge to priority areas.”

School’s Minister Vernon Coaker said:
“This survey shows that people recognise that we’re taking the right action, such as providing more positive activities, family intervention projects and parenting classes, but there is more to do to make sure everyone can see a difference in their area.

“We must build on the progress we’ve made through tough sanctions and non-negotiable support and by making sure that anti-social youngsters face up to the consequences of their actions, but are also supported to help turn their lives around. Youth crime and anti-social behaviour has a devastating impact on young people, families and local communities. It’s important that communities see that anti-social behaviour is being dealt with as and where it happens.

“We have committed £100m of new funding to tackle anti-social behaviour and as well as tough enforcement, we must continue to focus on providing early intervention for the most troubled young people. Through the Youth Taskforce Action Plan, Intensive Intervention Projects have already supported over 500 young people and I hope that more young people will benefit from this targeted support to set themselves on the right path.”

Today’s data shows some of the impact is testament to the success of the Government’s £100m Youth Crime Action Plan. Since 2008, local authorities and the police have been cracking down on youth crime and anti-social behaviour in 69 priority areas of the country, providing targeted support, early intervention and tough enforcement measures.

In addition to the tough enforcement approach the Government is taking, the positive activities for young people programme is targeting the most at risk 8 to19-year-olds - providing development activities outside of school hours and during the holidays, particularly on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Government also has invested £272 million in the flagship myplace programme to deliver world class youth facilities, driven by the active participation of young people. Already, 23 per cent of people say they have seen an increase in facilities or activities for young people.

The vast majority of young people are doing well and recent data showed that there has been a 21.6 per cent reduction in first time entrants to the criminal justice system. The Youth Taskforce is working to tackle the root causes of anti-social behaviour through early intervention projects, parenting programmes and providing young people with positive things to do and places to go.

The Government is continuing its commitment to tackle anti-social behaviour through extending victim support services to all victims and witnesses of ASB in magistrate’s courts, encouraging areas to set and publicise minimum standards of service by March 2010, stepping up action on ASBO breaches, and providing targeted support and challenge to 62 CDRP areas where more than 25 per cent of the population think ASB in a big problem.

Editor's Notes
This press notice relates to 'England'

1. The Youth Taskforce Survey surveyed 2,750 residents from YCAP areas across England in November and December 2009. The full research report including findings from the residents’ survey and qualitative research with young people will be published in February 2010.

2. In July 2008, the Government set out a £100m package of funding and support for local authorities through the Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP). YCAP offers a cross-government approach for dealing with the full range of issues around youth crime from prevention and early intervention through to offender resettlement.

Through YCAP, every local authority has received funding and support to implement Think Family reforms, bringing services together around the needs of the whole family and delivering intensive and persistent keyworker support through Family Intervention Projects to the most anti-social families.

The Youth Taskforce drives delivery of the YCAP intensive package in the 69 local authorities most blighted by youth crime and anti-social behaviour. This package includes deliver of Operation Staysafe - partnerships between the police and Local Authorities sweeping anti-social behaviour hotspots and removing young people who are at significant risk from the streets at night and taking them to a place of safety – and street-based teams, which see police officers working alongside youth workers to keep young people away from crime and anti-social behaviour.

3. YCAP is based on a triple track approach of prevention and early intervention to nip problems in the bud, non-negotiable challenge and support for those with the most entrenched and complex difficulties, and tough enforcement where behaviour is unacceptable or illegal. For further information about the Youth Crime Action Plan please visit: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/youth-crime-action-plan/

4. Challenge and Support Projects and Intensive Intervention Projects were introduced through the Youth Taskforce Action Plan, launched in March 2008. Challenge and Support Projects have been established in 52 areas across the country backed by £13m funding from 2008 to 2011. Intensive Intervention Projects are being piloted in 20 areas are also backed by £13m funding from 2008 – 2011.

Annex B
Survey of Residents in Youth Crime Action Plan Areas
GfK NOP were commissioned to carry out a survey of 2,750 residents from Youth Crime Action Plan (YCAP) areas across England in November and December 2009. The survey explored residents’ views of youth crime and anti social behaviour in their area and was carried out in wards which had been identified by local agencies as where YCAP intensive package measures including additional police patrols, reparation activity by young offenders and positive activities had been targeted (one or two wards in each YCAP area). Interviews were conducted face to face by GfK NOP interviewers.

This survey provides a baseline and it is planned to be conducted again during the same period in 2010 in order to measure progress in tackling youth crime and anti-social behaviour in these areas. Some questions were phrased in such a way that they can be compared with national data, but any comparisons are for indication only because of the variation in context and methodology of different surveys. The survey included residents of age 16 and above.

In November 2009, GfK NOP also carried out qualitative research with young people living in YCAP areas taken from across 5 regions, exploring their views of crime, anti-social behaviour and alcohol misuse and interventions used to reduce these problems amongst young people.

The full report including findings from the survey and qualitative research with young people will be published at the end of February 2010.

Details on survey data referenced above in press notice:
 Respondents have noticed increased police presence:
Question - Are you aware of any of the following (select all that apply):
Increased Police/PCSO Presence -52%; Police confiscating alcohol from young people – 23%; Seeing more young people doing work in the community to repair the harm caused by their offence (reparation) – 9%; Increased presence of youth workers or equivalent in areas where young people congregate – 9%; None of these – 37%; Don’t Know – 2%

• Respondents are aware of increased activities to keep young people off the streets:
Question - There has been investment across the country in more things for young people to do at the times when they need them. In your area, are you aware of an increase in facilities or activities for young people for when they are not in school?:

Yes - 23%; No - 77%.
For parents of children aged 5-16: Yes - 31%; No 69%
 Interventions to reduce alcohol fuelled anti-social behaviour:
Question – Do you think that the following are a good or a bad way of discouraging young people from drinking too much?

More positive activities: Very good – 62%; Fairly good – 26%; Neither good nor bad – 7%; Don’t Know – 1%; Bad – 4%
Confiscating alcohol from young people: Very good – 63%; Fairly good – 19%; Neither good nor bad – 9%; Don’t Know – 1%; Bad – 7%

Making it more difficult for young people to buy alcohol Very good – 75%; Fairly good – 15%; Neither good nor bad – 5%; Don’t Know – 1%; Bad – 4%

 Changes in youth crime and anti-social behaviour:
Question: Thinking about this area, how much would you say that crime and anti social behaviour caused by young people has changed in the last 12 Months? Would you say that in this area there is more, or less crime and anti social behaviour caused by young people?

The same – 48%; Gone down – 19%; Gone up – 27%; Don’t know – 6%)