Anti-social behaviour
Anti-social behaviour has been identified as a priority for residents of Derbyshire, so tackling it is a priority for community safety partners.
Anti-social behaviour is defined in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 as "acting in a manner that caused or is likely to cause alarm, distress or harassment to one or more persons not of the same household". This covers many types of actions from low-level persistent nuisance to serious public disturbance.
Examples of anti-social behaviour could include:-
- Noise nuisance
- Criminal damage, vandalism, graffiti
- Intimidation/harassment
- Litter, dog fouling, fly tipping
- Drug or alcohol misuse
- Nuisance motorcycles
- Hate behaviour that targets people because of their perceived differences.
This is by no means an exhaustive list; the key issue is the impact that these actions have on victims, witnesses and the community we live in.
The important factors in determining 'what is' and 'what is not' anti-social behaviour are the level of seriousness and frequency of the behaviour. There is a balance between tolerating behaviour that we personally may not agree with and ensuring that we tackle behaviour that is anti-social.
If the problem is not too serious, try talking to the person − they may not realise they are causing a nuisance. Be calm and friendly, explain what the problem is and how it affects you. Listen to the other person and try to reach an agreement. If the discussion is getting unreasonable, leave and report it.
Useful documents
The following document is in Portable Document Format (PDF). You can download software to view PDF documents for free from the Adobe website (opens in a new window)
Intergenerational Work
A scheme in Derbyshire for young and older people to take part in activities, make new friends and learn new skills
