2.10 Furthermore, it has been established there is the high rate of non-compliance, with many breaching their orders and it has also been argued that ASBO’S are viewed as a type of reward, rather than addressing the causes of bad behaviour. “Parents and some professionals, including magistrates, commonly argued that Asbos functioned as a “badge of honour”, and referred to them as a “diploma” rather than addressing the causes of bad behaviour (/, Teenagers see ASBO’s as badge of honour Nov 2 2006,Accessed:2008 March 20)
Section 3: Procedures-
3.1 The methods used in this research are qualitative, as they are an array of interpretivist techniques, which seek to describe, translate and otherwise come to a better understanding of the uses of Anti-social behaviour orders in society.
3.2 In order to meet the aims of this study which are:
- Produce a clearer understanding of the uses if ASBO’s
- Report on what the public think of ASBO’s
- Establish how effective ASBO’s have been for their stated purpose
- Make recommendations for action
3.3 A combined method was used; these were questionnaires and interviews, as they are considered useful in developing the approach to this study. This was done because; firstly different methods can be used for different purposes in a study. In addition, it allows the use of different data collection methods to be used within one study, in order to ensure that the data is showing what it is telling. Each of the methods used has its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
3.4 Firstly, relevant questions had to be identified for the questionnaires, which would consolidate the information that was being sought. The questions were mainly structured and were to be documented into a questionnaire to be issued to the general public. It was important to get a cross section of people from different age groups and genders in order to make sure that the views from the wider public were being gathered and transmitted in the report.
3.5 In order to obtain a sample of twenty individuals to complete the questionnaires, individuals were approached on a one to one basis and the research and aims of the investigation were explained to them. They were then informed that by agreeing to take part, it would in no way impinge on their privacy and that the information they provided would be kept confidential. Each respondent was also assured that only honest opinions were wanted and that all results would remain anonymous.
3.6 The questionnaires provided them with a brief introduction detailing the reasons and aims of the investigation. Participants then completed the questionnaires and then returned them.
3.7 Questionnaires allowed precise and consistent answers in terms of the way questions were worded, it also made the processing of the answers easier. The questions also required straightforward information to be gathered, making the process less time consuming.
3.8 The disadvantages of using questionnaires are that they limit and shape the nature of the answers that are obtainable, consequently the data then is not able to be generalized to the wider population, and this is also due to the small sample used.
3.9 Secondly, one to one interviews were used in order to gather primary data, careful planning of the questions, so as to gain maximum benefits was needed. The questions were then posed in one to one interviews. A middle aged woman was interviewed to generate the views of the older generation and two adolescents one male, one female to uncover contrasting gender views on ASBO’s. They were debriefed on the investigation and were provided with a set of standardised instructions (see appendix 2). A suitable time and meeting place was arranged for the interviews to be conducted.
3.10 This method was considered appropriate for the following reasons:
- It was necessary to understand the constructs that the interviewees used as a basis for their opinions and beliefs about the subject matter
- Allows the interviewer to develop an understanding of the interviewees views on ASBO’s
Section 4: Findings-
4.1 The results from the questionnaires were collated and presented into a suitable format of graphs because they are visually strong and appealing, they can easily be compared and show totals for each categories.
4.2 Analysis of Questionnaires-
The first research question related to the ages of respondents.
35% of the respondents who responded to the questionnaires were between 18 and 21 years old. There were only 25% of respondents above the age of 25. This signifies that the research findings are overwhelmingly of the views of the younger generation and therefore can not be generalized to the wider population. It also suggests that their view on anti-social behaviour may be biased. As well as this because of their ages they may not have answered the questions honestly especially in cases were their peers were present, they may have found themselves distracted when answering the questions and responded to the questions randomly.
The next research question addressed whether or not the respondents were aware of ASBO’s.
The study clearly shows that the respondents are aware of ASBO’s. This may suggest that there is a percentage of the younger generation who are aware of the existence of ASBO’s. Although it does not allow for knowledge of the wider population, and therefore the results can not be generalised because the sample is too small.
The third research question relates to the various types of ASBO’s.
70% of all respondents were aware that various types of ASBO’s existed and 30% stated that they were not aware. The percentage that did not have the knowledge reflects research which suggested that there is not enough awareness of the various orders and their uses. Research also found that offenders who are issued with ASBO’s were not aware of the prohibitions.
The fourth question asked respondents to indicate which orders they were aware of.
The responses of the questionnaires indicated that the majority were aware of the stand alone ASBO and a Curfew and Dispersal Order. Research does suggest that that these two orders are commonly used by authorities such as the police and judiciary. The curfew and dispersal orders are commonly used in troubled areas and therefore the use is amplified through the media.
The fifth question asked respondents to indicated which type of behaviours they classed as anti-social
All respondents were able to identify the typical forms of anti-social behaviours such as graffiti, criminal damage and assault. This showed that the respondents know the
definition of anti-social behaviour however, very few were aware of the wider spectrum of behaviours that ASBO’s covered such as begging and prostitution. This may be because the use of ASBO’s are not commonly issued for these forms of behaviour.
The sixth question asked respondents to state why they thought individuals got involved in anti-social behaviour.
The results of this question made it evident that all respondents believed that the causes of anti-social behaviour committed by individuals was presumably due to issues built up over a period of time such not receiving enough attention, this maybe from parents or guardians and a lack of discipline not being established.
Through research a form of anti-social behaviour order was identified was identified called a parenting order which focuses on getting parents of those who have been issued with an ASBO on conviction to take responsibility for their children’s offending behaviour. They help to engage parents to address their children’s anti-social behaviour or offending behaviour and to establish discipline and a relationship with their child. This suggests that this is an effective way of engaging young people and helping them to stay away from committing crimes and anti-social behaviour. Although it does not have any use for offenders who are older.
Question 7 is about ethnicity and whether respondents think that ethnic minority groups are more likely to be issued with an ASBO rather than the majority ethnic groups
Attitudes of the respondents and responses of the questionnaires indicate that the majority were not of the view that ethnic minorities were more likely to be issued with ASBO’s.
This contests research carried out by the police research Bureau and NACRO, these critics of ASBO’s argued that ASBO’s are used overwhelmingly on black and Asian minorities “The study, however, did confirm that Asbos were used disproportionately against ethnic minority groups. More than 20% of those given an Asbo were black or Asian-two and half times more than their representation in the general public (/, Teenagers see ASBO’s as badge of honour, Nov 2 2006r,Accessed:2008 March 20). However, this study may not have been operational to the Black and Asian minorities and this may be the reason for these findings.
The eighth question focused on gender in relation to anti-social behaviour orders.
The majority of responses indicated that the ASBO’s are not gender specific although research tends to suggest that ASBO’s are often issued to young males. This may be due to the Medias and newspaper reports on anti-social behaviour. On the other hand, it may be that more males do commit more acts of anti-social behaviour overall and therefore; the reports are disproportionate to that of the female population.
The ninth question asked respondents to specify whether the idea of ‘naming and shaming’ individuals was a good or bad thing.
The majority of responses showed that the respondents thought it was bad idea, others were not sure because they believed it might help to deter certain individuals from committing anti-social behaviour or it that it could increase their offending behaviour.
Nevertheless, research suggests that this approach to tackling anti-social behaviour is going to become more wide spread in the hope that individuals will be deterred from anti-social behaviour.
The tenth question focused on the effects that ASBO’s have on the families of the offenders.
The respondents indicated that ASBO’s gives families a bad name. There were a small number of individuals that stated that ASBO’s may set an example to other family members and stop them from receiving an order.
However, research did suggest that ASBO’s affect the families of those who offend due to the negativity that they receive from their communities as well as authorities.
4.3 Analysis of interviews:
The main areas highlighted in the interviews were:
- Effectiveness
- Association
- Knowledge
4.4 The knowledge of anti social behaviour orders known to those interviewed was adequate they all seemed of the respondents had a basic knowledge of the orders and their aims although it was mentioned that there was not enough knowledge of them provided to the public.
4.5 They all had an opinion on the orders. Mainly negative views, these views were due to personal experiences and through knowledge received in other forms.
The respondents all seemed to associate anti social behaviour orders with young people, stating that It was the younger generation that are commonly known to receive them.
4.6 More importantly, the effectiveness of the orders seemed to be questionable throughout the interviews. The respondents did not believe that these orders were helping those who commit these offences long term neither were they convinced that they lead to a positive outcome for the public or the families.
Section 5: Conclusion and Recommendation-
5.1 Generally with interviews, questionnaires and the people who participated everybody seemed to in support of the criticisms that have been surrounding ASBO’s. The research questioned their effectiveness of the orders in a similar way to the secondary research which was carried out at the beginning of the investigation.
5.2 The research suggests that the government need to come up with alternative strategies to deal with anti-social behaviour as current strategies are clearly not working to their full potential and it can be argued in number of ways that the current Orders are not helping to reduce anti-social behaviour.
5.3 Whilst I believe my research was both methodical and logical in its approach, it suggested that this method of research did not enable me to have control over the accuracy of the results and in some cases the respondents may not have understand the terminologies used in the questions or may not have had enough knowledge of the subject matter to answer the questions truthfully.
5.4 On reflection some of the questions in the questionnaires were slightly more open ended than initially expected and presented difficulties in analysis and interpretation. The questionnaires may have provided biased findings of areas explored as the questions that were provided possibly reflected my own way of thinking rather than the respondents therefore, channelling responses away from the respondent’s perception of matters to fit in line with my own.
5.5The use of pre-coded answers may have meant that respondents were not able to choose the answers that they would have preferred and as a result they may have selected random answers, which could also mean that that the data collected was unreliable. In addition, the questionnaire findings enabled the views of the topic to be explored but these thoughts would have been limited because the research was carried out on a small scale and the majority of respondents were from the younger generation this did not present a true picture of anti social behaviour orders.
5.6 Nevertheless, the interviews allowed more in depth data to be collected and allowed information to be probed and prompted for, when needed. Respondents were free to expand on their answers throughout whilst explaining their views. The use of interviews gained a high response rate because the interviews were pre-arranged and scheduled for convenient times and also there was direct contact at the point of interview therefore, the answers obtained may be more valid than those of the questionnaire.
5.7 There were constraints regarding this research. Arranging interviews with the respondents was problematic. The interviewees had other engagements and interviews had to be rescheduled on a number of occasions. There was also a narrow time frame in which to complete the interviews. It was therefore decided that shorter interviews would be conducted. This also met with great difficulties because it meant that all questions could not be explored in as greater depth as needed.
5.8 This method produced non-standard responses and the data was not pre-coded. The interviews had a relatively open format making it harder to analyse the information. Moreover, the data collected from each of my interviews were unique meaning that the data’s reliability was affected because consistency and objectivity were hard to achieve.
5.8 If this research was to be conducted again It would be advisable to carry it out on a larger sample, on a wider selection of the population incorporating people of all ages, genders and ethnicity thus making it more reliable and valid. The same methods of research could be applied however, the range of answers could be expanded to each question or the respondents could be given give greater freedom, flexibility to reply objectively.
5.9 On reflection, the log book which was used to log all the stages of the study proved to be a useful tool in helping to complete this investigation in a methodical way. It allowed the various stages of putting the study to be put together and allowed each stage to be evaluated and the next steps to be put in place. This is useful when going to complete the next stage of in the project because from the log book you are able to see what you done last time and see how far you got with the particular task.
5.10 However, remembering to log each task proved to be difficult as you can often forget to log each stage evaluating was not always easy.
5.11 The presentation was methodical in its approach and fulfilled its set aims, which was to inform the audience of the different anti-social behaviour orders. I believe that it was informative and went beyond giving the audience the basic knowledge of what an anti-social behaviour order is. The use of visual aids such as a PowerPoint presentation, Q cards and a handout also helped to break down information, keep the audience interested and a quiz also allowed for the information to be adsorbed by the audience.
5.12 However, the presentation cold have gone into more detail and could have explored other issues surrounding anti-social behaviour orders such as their effectiveness to reduce anti-social behaviour.
5.13 The planning of the presentation helped to gather information specific to what I was seeking to achieve as well as helping to structure it well and keep a note of what had been completed and what still needed to be achieved in order for it to be presented to an audience.
5.14 Overall the research carried out provided more negative views on anti-social behaviour than positive which proved difficult when trying to provide a balanced opinion on anti-social behaviour orders.
5.15 Nevertheless, research provided a greater knowledge of what anti-social behaviour orders are their stated aims, criticisms and enabled discovery to take place. In terms of trying to discover how the public felt about them.
5.16 Further, it was discovered that ASBO’s have the ability to be an effective tool in helping to reduce anti-social behaviour. However research argues that more productive measures need to be put in place and that measure already in use need to be re-approached in order for ASBO’s to reach their full potential.
6. Recommendations-
6.1 The following recommendations are made for ASBO’s:
- Incentives to keep individuals from committing anti-social behaviour should be in place and as a result individuals will be encouraged into positive activities.
- Measures to enhance the awareness and advantages of anti-social behaviour orders in the community, which will help to remove individual’s barriers to ASBO’s. If care is not taken regarding the above, it could be problematic as more and more young people continue to label them as a bad thing.
- Measures to protect the families of those who have been issued with an ASBO to reduce the effect on the family as a whole.
- Clear prohibitions for those who receive ASBO’s.