Monday, August 28, 2006
Asbos et al...
Browsing the local papers this weekend I was saddened to read in the Ross-shire Journal an article about people littering the pretty streets of Tain and another about anti-social behaviour and the Asbo system in Ross-shire. The Journal reports that 80 % of respondents think the system is not working.
Implicit and explicit in both articles were criticisms of young people in the area and the suggestion anti-social behaviour and littering were primarily a fault to be rested at their doors. As my colleague Maureen Macmillan made clear recently this is often not the case and I wonder that by reinforcing the idea young people are always to blame for this behaviour, an unwelcome stereotype is pushed upon them, which provides little motivation to improve behaviour that they may or may not be responsible for. If you're damned anyway.....
On the spot fines for littering and anti-social behaviour orders are both intelligent measures which can be deployed to limit such behaviour and provide local communities with a greater sense of empowerment in tackling behaviour that can be downright distressing and demoralising. Local police forces and councillors should determine just how they wish such powers to be deployed to best suit their local conditions.
Nationally, the Labour Government is working to reduce one of the contributory factors of poor behaviour: poverty. It is, of course, completely wrong to stigamtise underprivileged communities as being unruly, but time and again Asbos are sought in run down estates where resident's boredom leads to mischief because of the difficulties in finding good employment to provide people with a better means of spending their time. Labour have pulled 800, 000 young people out of poverty and have invested hugely in education to improve their lives. This will ultimately lead to the regeneration of deprived areas, better jobs, better lives and choices for people who previously had few.
Few people may incorrectly believe Asbos are working, but few should doubt that Labour's commitment to reducing poverty and lack of opportunities are sowing the seeds for a better Scotland.
Implicit and explicit in both articles were criticisms of young people in the area and the suggestion anti-social behaviour and littering were primarily a fault to be rested at their doors. As my colleague Maureen Macmillan made clear recently this is often not the case and I wonder that by reinforcing the idea young people are always to blame for this behaviour, an unwelcome stereotype is pushed upon them, which provides little motivation to improve behaviour that they may or may not be responsible for. If you're damned anyway.....
On the spot fines for littering and anti-social behaviour orders are both intelligent measures which can be deployed to limit such behaviour and provide local communities with a greater sense of empowerment in tackling behaviour that can be downright distressing and demoralising. Local police forces and councillors should determine just how they wish such powers to be deployed to best suit their local conditions.
Nationally, the Labour Government is working to reduce one of the contributory factors of poor behaviour: poverty. It is, of course, completely wrong to stigamtise underprivileged communities as being unruly, but time and again Asbos are sought in run down estates where resident's boredom leads to mischief because of the difficulties in finding good employment to provide people with a better means of spending their time. Labour have pulled 800, 000 young people out of poverty and have invested hugely in education to improve their lives. This will ultimately lead to the regeneration of deprived areas, better jobs, better lives and choices for people who previously had few.
Few people may incorrectly believe Asbos are working, but few should doubt that Labour's commitment to reducing poverty and lack of opportunities are sowing the seeds for a better Scotland.
# posted by John McKendrick @ 9:02 AM 
