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The purpose of this paper is to critically explore the impact of anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) on young people with mild learning disabilities. In an attempt to identify why young people (under the age of 18) with learning disabilities are exposed to the criminal justice system, an emerging body of evidence is considered. The research provides an insight into some of the difficulties vulnerable young people may encounter, such as receiving unrealistic prohibitions and the lack of support provided after receiving a court order. The research also highlights the lack of professional awareness and understanding of learning disabilities and considers the level of training available to professionals. The paper closes with a discussion of the themes identified from the literature reviewed and some of the changes proposed by the coalition government regarding the future of the criminal justice system.

Although a strict systematic review of the literature was not required for the literature review, a less rigorous systematic approach was employed. When searching for literature, the general principles and guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration were employed, this included inclusion and exclusion criteria. The eligibility criteria guided the focus of the literature review and determined the relevance of the research. During the literature review it was recognised that much of the research is discussion/review based, and currently there is a limited amount of empirical research available. An eco-systems perspective was employed to consider the connections between young people, the environment and anti-social behaviour (ASB).

The findings from the literature review, illustrate a growing body of evidence which suggests that young people with learning disabilities have been “caught up” in ASB measures. It is positive that more recently, there has been a much needed focus on early identification and diversion away from the criminal justice system, for those with mental health conditions and learning disabilities. The research findings presented by Cant and Standen, and Talbot, provide possible explanations as to why vulnerable young people are made subject to ASBOs. Indeed this lack of sufficient training has not gone unnoticed by other researchers.

Although the author is aware of the valuable insight qualitative research can provide, the methodological limitations raise questions regarding the validity of the research the author has considered, especially as most of the research the author has drawn upon is based on exploratory approaches. Nevertheless, the concurring themes drawn from the research findings raise much curiosity around the potential links between disability awareness training and the identification of young people with mild learning disabilities.

Despite the governments recent proposal to abolish the ASBO and introduce a new approach to tackling ASB, it appears unclear as to how the new measures will differ from the existing ones. The recent proposed measures are set out in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. Although the accompanying guidance for frontline professionals clearly sets out the need for early intervention, which sits alongside a new menu of ASB powers, including the Criminal Behaviour Order (which seems very similar to the ASBO), it is disappointing that the guidance does not give any direction of how new measures will impact on young people with learning disabilities.

Although the ASBO was not initially designed to target children and young people, it is clear from the literature that certain families and young people are often singled out and labelled as “anti-social”. It is unsurprising, that children and young people from poor families, with low educational attainment, limited employment opportunities and live in the most marginalised and deprived communities are amongst those who are singled out as being particularly problematic.

The research findings have helped me to understand some of the potential difficulties vulnerable young people may encounter if they come into contact with the criminal justice system. As there appears to be a lack of empirical research available which considers the connections between learning disabilities and ASBOs, further research within this area of practice would be beneficial. The research invites an alternative perspective which adds to the existing literature.

Academics, politicians and the media have debated the merits of the Anti‐Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) for over a decade. Much of this discussion has been associated with negative connotations and there are currently government proposals to abolish the order in favour of a Crime Prevention Injunction (CPI). This study seeks to provide a practitioner perspective to further inform this debate.

Using qualitative analysis, the research examines 36 ASBOs administered within a policing division in the North West of England. It supplements these findings with qualitative data that harvest the views of practitioners involved in the application and enforcement of these orders.

The study shows that practitioners view the ASBO as an effective tool in managing and reducing antisocial behaviour. In doing so it questions the interpretation of other research findings and provides timely and relevant information that should be considered prior to the implementation of any change to current practice.

The data relate to one Police Division in the North West of England and caution must be acknowledged when considering how representative they are across the rest of the UK.

A practitioner perspective has been lacking from the debate concerning the ASBO. These data provide a fresh perception on its use and benefits.

This article considers the use of Asbos as a response to problematic behaviour exhibited by children and young people under the age of 18 years. Drawing on research conducted on behalf of the Youth Justice Board, it suggests that the perceptions of key professionals involved in the Asbo process may have a greater impact on their use than the level of anti‐social behaviour in an area.

Anti‐social behaviour legislation has resulted in a growth of the administrative mechanisms to enforce it. New guidance has been issued recommending an incremental approach and the number of orders and interventions has increased. This article examines the criticisms and assumptions on the effectiveness of anti‐social behaviour orders in the context of recent and emerging research.

Anti‐social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are increasingly used against young people. This article argues that their offending behaviour frequently masks a catalogue of individual and material disadvantage of which the behaviour may be a consequence. The criminal consequences of a breach of an ASBO only serve to exacerbate the disadvantage.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the anti-social behaviour (ASB) measures for under-18s contained in the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Bill, examining how they differ from the current ASB framework and their likely implications for young people and society.

The paper is based on desk-based research of the proposed and existing ASB measures. It also draws on the author's experience as a parliamentary campaigner on the Bill for the Standing Committee for Youth Justice.

The paper finds that there is little difference in the substance of the proposed and existing ASB measures for under-18s. The key change of note is that the new powers will be easier and quicker to obtain, which is likely to be particularly counterproductive for children and young people.

This paper will be valuable to practitioners seeking to understand the new ASB proposals and their likely implications for practice and society.

Ethnography has been an important research method that has given insight into ‘dangerous’ and ‘problematic’ populations. Yet, ethnographic methods with such populations are increasingly rare as the governance of social science research takes on an ever more intensified ‘risk assessment’ approach. Based on projects that made use of ethnographic methods undertaken from 2004 to 2008, this paper will try to offer some methodological reflections on working with ‘dangerous’ and ‘problematic’ populations such as mentally ill adults, those with antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs), crack cocaine users and gangs. It will call for greater consideration to be given to the use of ethnographic methods with such populations to inform policy and practice.

This paper aims to examine the policing of youth anti‐social behaviour and crime.

The paper considers the Independent Commission report, Time for a Fresh Start and argues that its analysis would be enhanced by a fuller consideration of the role of the police as gatekeepers to the criminal justice system. As such this represents something of a missed opportunity.

The paper contends that, like many other reviews of youth justice, and proposals for reform, Time for a Fresh Start says relatively little about policing. As gatekeepers and agenda‐setters for much of the criminal justice system, the police occupy a key position. This paper suggests that reform programmes must focus on the role the police play in regulating the flow of young people into the justice system and, in particular, argues in favour of a constructive reappraisal of the value of “diversion”.

Without considering the role the police play in regulating the flow of young people into the justice system, any programme of reform is incomplete. We need to rehabilitate the idea of “diversion” and to rescue it from the one‐sided picture that became dominant from the mid‐1990s onward.

The author is a newly appointed Anti‐Social Behaviour Reduction Officer. He outlines his role and the use of anti‐social behaviour contracts. The appointment of a specialist officer has meant that the provisions of the Crime and Disorder Act have been implemented in the area for the first time. Attempts are also being initiated to implement schemes that may prevent such behaviour in the first place.

This article considers the likely success of recent reforms of prostitution policy by reflecting on a recent Joseph Rowntree Foundation‐funded study that examined the experiences of those living and working in areas of street sex work. This empirical work points to some of the dangers of policy frameworks and techniques of control that continue to situate sex work as antithetical to the cultivation of community safety.