ABSTRACT
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) continues to enjoy considerable prominence in public, political and academic discourse. Moreover, young people remain central to many ASB concerns. Yet while much is written around a wide range of issues relating to ASB and young people, the voices of young people directly affected by ASB legislation are rarely heard. In this chapter we explore the socio-spatial implications of anti-social behaviour legislation in England and Wales. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective we draw on socio-environmental psychology to highlight the socio-spatial impact of ASB legislation, and use this to explore the experiences of young people who have been made subject to Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). First we set out the policy context and note key features of the legislation as it is relevant to the socio-spatial regulation of young people. We then briefly highlight a social psychological framework to examine the impact of this legislation on young people’s experiences of socio-spatial restriction. We then go on to illustrate this framework through the presentation of themes raised by a series of interviews conducted with young people and their families who have been subject to ASB legislation. Ultimately we argue that, given that the ASBO was designed originally for use against adults, its encouraged use against young people by the government (Labour Party, 1995; Home Office, 1997) has had and will continue to have untold consequences in the future.
