Public Concern About ASB And Support For ASBOs - Topline Results
Topline Results
- 1,857 interviews were conducted via the MORI Omnibus across England and Wales.
- All interviews were conducted face-to-face in respondents' homes between 19-23 May 2005.
- Data are weighted by sex, age, social grade, region and work status.
- Where figures do not sum to 100 per cent, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple codes or the exclusion of "Don't know".
- An asterisk denotes a figure of greater than zero but less than 0.5%.
- Findings are based on all respondents (1,857), unless stated otherwise.
I am now going to ask you a few questions about anti-social behaviour.
Q1 Anti-social behaviour includes problems such as vandalism and graffiti, nuisance neighbours, people dropping litter in the street, drunken behaviour and drug dealing. In general, how much of a problem would you say anti-social behaviour is in your area?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Very big problem | 16 |
| Fairly big problem | 28 |
| Not a very big problem | 42 |
| Not a problem at all | 13 |
| Don't know | 1 |
Q2 How much would you say you know about Anti-Social Behaviour Orders, usually known as ASBOs?
| % | |
|---|---|
| Great deal | 8 |
| Fair amount | 29 |
| Just a little | 39 |
| Heard of, but know nothing about them | 16 |
| Never heard of | 8 |
Q3 As far are you are aware, are anti-social behaviour orders being used in the area where you live?Base: All who have at least heard of ASBOs (1,724)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Yes | 31 |
| No | 38 |
| Don't know | 31 |
Q4 To what extent do you think that anti-social behaviour orders are effective in...Base: All who have at least heard of ASBOs (1,724)
| Very effective | Fairly effective | Not very effective | Not at all effective | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | |
| Stopping people from causing anti-social behaviour? | 7 | 32 | 36 | 10 | 15 |
| Showing the local community that something is being done about anti-social behaviour? | 10 | 43 | 29 | 6 | 13 |
Anti-social behaviour orders, usually known as ASBOs, ban people from specific anti-social activities or from entering particular areas for a minimum of two years. They have typically been used to tackle general loutish and unruly conduct such as verbal abuse, harassment, assault, graffiti and excessive noise.
ASBOs are not criminal penalties but breaching an ASBO is a criminal offence and can lead to a prison sentence, even though the original offence may not in itself be criminal. In order to raise an ASBO, the council or police must show that the defendant behaved in an anti-social manner and that an ASBO is necessary for the protection of others from further anti-social behaviour. Because they are not criminal penalties, less proof is needed than in a criminal trial.
Q5 To what extent do you support or oppose the issuing of ASBOs to people responsible for anti-social behaviour?
| All respondents | Split sample 1(Read all of information above) | Split sample 2(read only first half of information above) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,857 | 893 | 964 | |
| % | % | % | |
| Strongly support | 42 | 44 | 39 |
| Tend to support | 40 | 37 | 43 |
| Neither support nor oppose | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| Tend to oppose | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Strongly oppose | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Don't know | 2 | 2 | 1 |
If Support:
Q6a Why do you say that?Base: All who support use of ASBOs (1,518)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Tackles crime/ASB/cracks down on 'yobs' | 43 |
| Support any measures to tackle crime/ASB | 30 |
| Is a good idea (general) | 25 |
| Punishment for those responsible for ASB | 24 |
| Better than other punishments/initiatives | 6 |
| Leads to greater respect | 5 |
| Gets message across/shows ASB will not be tolerated | 1 |
| Depends on effectiveness | 1 |
| Makes people feel safe/secure | 1 |
| Personal experience | 1 |
| No alternative at present | 1 |
| Provides more discipline | 1 |
| Makes them think about their behaviour | 1 |
| Lack of parental control/guidance | 1 |
| Other | 2 |
| Don't know | 2 |
If Oppose:
Q6b Why do you say that?Base: All who oppose use of ASBOs (88)
| % | |
|---|---|
| Does not address causes of anti-social behaviour / does not help people / will not bring levels of ASB down | 49 |
| Are better ways to address ASB | 38 |
| Not effective | 7 |
| Targets wrong types of people | 6 |
| Targets children / don't like emphasis on children | 5 |
| Other | 5 |
| Don't know | 10 |
Q7 From what you know, to what extent would you agree or disagree with the following statements about ASBOs, or do you have no views either way?
| Strongly agree | Tend to agree | Neither agree nor disagree | Tend to disagree | Strongly disagree | Don't know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | |
| ASBOs are an effective way of dealing with anti-social behaviour | 10 | 39 | 22 | 15 | 5 | 9 |
| ASBOs are a good way of dealing with teenagers responsible for anti-social behaviour | 14 | 45 | 16 | 13 | 6 | 6 |
| ASBOs create more problems than they solve | 3 | 17 | 25 | 34 | 7 | 13 |
| ASBOs help to restore common standards of behaviour and respect in local areas | 9 | 40 | 20 | 17 | 6 | 8 |
| ASBOs send out a clear message that action will be taken against anti-social behaviour | 17 | 53 | 11 | 11 | 3 | 5 |
| People should be given a final warning before they receive an ASBO | 14 | 38 | 11 | 20 | 12 | 4 |
| ASBOs give victims a break from anti-social behaviour | 12 | 43 | 19 | 15 | 5 | 7 |
