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Date: November 25, 2024 Mon
Time: 8:09 pm
Time: 8:09 pm
Results for antisocial behavior (scotland)
4 results foundAuthor: Brown, Alison P. Title: The Role of Mediation in Tackling Neighbour Disputes and Anti-Social Behaviour Summary: The aims of the study are to provide evidence about mediation and alternative approaches to the resolution of neighbour disputes, and to draw conclusions about the effectiveness and costs of mediation compared to legal remedies such as actions for repossession and anti-social behaviour orders. An additional objective was to investigate the reasons for refusing to take part in mediation. In the study, the main research methods used were analysis of 100 cases from two community mediation services and two local authority mediation services, and 50 legal proceedings cases (eviction, anti-social behaviour order and interdict) from local authorities. In addition, parties to mediation were interviewed to compare their view of outcomes with those recorded by mediation services. Housing officers who make referrals to mediation, and a small number of people who had opted not to take part in mediation, were also interviewed. The main methodological challenges were the difficulty in obtaining data from environmental health, police and housing services, and to a lesser extent from mediation services; the reasons for this included data protection considerations, and lack of time recording. Specialist investigation teams provided the most robust data, but few areas of Scotland have such teams therefore these costs may not be typical. In general, the mediation cases examined involved mildly anti-social behaviour or serious personality or lifestyle clashes. In most cases, the main presenting issue was noise, either noise of domestic appliances, children, dogs, and other 'normal' living, or noise of parties and loud music. A smaller number of disputes originated in disputes between children, with which parents had become involved, or disputes over boundaries and upkeep of common areas. Cases remained live in mediation services generally for between two weeks and two months. Half of the cases included at least one non-council-tenant party. In 61 percent of cases, the outcome recorded by the mediation service was either full or partial agreement or some improvement in the situation. In just under half of these cases (in 28 percent of all cases), the mediation service recorded an agreement on all presenting issues. Mediators themselves, however, suggest that there are likely to be positive outcomes in terms of changed awareness, which cannot easily be measured, even in 'unsuccessful' cases. The profile of interventions, outcomes and costs varied significantly between mediation services. From the perspective of participants, however, outcomes recorded at the close of a case are not necessarily a reliable guide to the longer-term outcomes. Although outcomes are not always worse than those recorded, the proportion of positive outcomes recorded by some mediation services appears not necessarily to reflect the experience of participants. Participants' views demonstrate some of the challenges facing mediation, but show a generally positive view of the process, even where it does not bring the desired outcome. A number of participants, however, have found the mediation process more traumatic than might be expected. All legal action cases studied involved serious and protracted anti-social behaviour, often including fighting, verbal abuse, swearing and damage to property. In most cases, it involved the perpetrator and visitors or family members, and in all cases it affected more than one neighbour. In many cases, there was a history of criminal convictions and/or mental health and/or alcohol-related problems. These cases in general were quite different to those found in mediation services. The seriousness of the behaviour was reflected in the length of time from decision to take legal proceedings to an outcome; this was usually several months and often one or two years. The majority of perpetrators were local authority tenants. In terms of outcomes of legal cases, it is particularly difficult to assess the long-term outcomes of evictions and transfers, which were the short-term outcome in half of the cases. In the short term, several cases were 'solved' by the perpetrator moving away, being imprisoned, or being offered a community care package. In only two cases were proceedings dropped due to evidence of improvement in the situation. The majority of anti-social behaviour orders examined were breached, some of which breaches were then prosecuted. From the 100 mediation cases studied, the average cost of handling a case was 121, which rose to 204 when face-to-face or shuttle mediation was involved; and the maximum case cost was 484. Costs for local authority mediation services were, on average, slightly lower, but this reflects a higher proportion of cases where no contact was made with parties to the dispute. From the 50 legal cases, the average cost was 3,546, with a range from 339 to 13,692 for a very complex eviction case. These are net costs, however, and would be considerably higher if overheads were included. Average costs of ASBOs and repossession actions were approximately 2,250 and 9,000 respectively. These figures should be read in the context of the diverse organisational arrangements found; that is, the costs depend on the proportion of work carried out by a specialist team with its own budget, or by housing managers, where costs are likely to be absorbed. In terms of unwillingness to take part in mediation, or to see the process through to a conclusion, the main reasons given by refusers themselves were: unwillingness to engage with the other party; fear of reprisals; belief that the other party did or would manipulate the process or the mediators; fear of an escalation of the dispute; and the desire for a definitive judgement on their case. Lack of knowledge about mediation or of confidence in mediation services did not appear to be a significant factor. Legal action costs far more than mediation, due to the seriousness of disputes, but also to the procedures required in order to prepare a case for possible court action. There are local variations in the amount of evidence generally thought to be necessary for a strong case. Although mediation will not be sufficient to deal with serious anti-social behaviour, which is associated with alcohol and drug abuse, mental health problems or criminal activity, its cost effectiveness suggests that there is considerable scope to extend mediation in the area of neighbour disputes. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Executive Social Research, 2003. 58p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47176/0025566.pdf Year: 2003 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/47176/0025566.pdf Shelf Number: 120837 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Scotland)Dispute SettlementMediationNuisance Behavior and Disorder |
Author: Cavanagh, Ben Title: A Review of Dispersal Powers Summary: Dispersal powers were introduced in Scotland under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. Their introduction reflected the aim of the then Scottish Executive to address the antisocial behaviour of groups in public spaces. This had consistently been rated as one of the main concerns of communities in Scottish Crime Surveys. Dispersal powers allow police to designate a “dispersal area” in a location where there has been a history of antisocial behaviour caused by groups congregating in public spaces. From this area, for a 3-month period, they can disperse groups of two or more individuals whose presence or behaviour, in the view of police officers, is causing or is likely to cause alarm or distress to members of the public. Dispersed individuals (who do not live in the dispersal area) are not allowed to return to the designated area for 24 hours. The breach of an order to disperse is a criminal offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum £2500 fine or imprisonment or to both. This study was designed to consider a wide range of issues around the main questions of how dispersal powers have been administered and how far they represent an effective means of providing relief to communities affected by the antisocial behaviour of groups. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Government Social Research, 2007. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/201001/0053723.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/201001/0053723.pdf Shelf Number: 120838 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Scotland)Nuisance Behavior and Disorder |
Author: Dillane, Jennifer Title: Evaluation of the Dundee Families Project: Final Report Summary: The Dundee Family Project was established with Urban Programme funding to assist families who are homeless or at severe risk of homelessness as a result of ‘antisocial behaviour’. Previous ways of tackling this problem were seen as expensive and ineffective. The Project is run by NCH Action for Children Scotland in partnership with Dundee Council Housing and Social Work Departments. The Project works with families deemed to have exhibited a range of anti-social behaviour, with the aim of enabling them to avoid eviction or be restored to satisfactory tenancy arrangements. This also helps to prevent the breakdown of vulnerable families, and to re-unite separated families. The Project follows a systemic approach to family difficulties and offers a range of services through individual and couple counselling, family support and group work. The service makes available support 24-hours a day all year. Staff run after-school and young persons’ group activities, while groups for adults have covered cookery, parenting skills, anger management and tenancy issues. Users access the service in 3 main ways: i. by residence in a ‘core block’ comprising accommodation for 3-4 families ii. in dispersed tenancies, iii. on an outreach basis. The staff currently consists of the following: Project Manager, 1 Depute, 7 Social Care Workers, 4 Relief Social Care Workers, 1 Administrative Assistant, and 1 Domestic. The Project established an admissions panel, which assesses referrals and reviews cases. The membership includes representatives from the Project, NCH and Dundee City Council Housing and Social Work. A Project Advisory Group was also set up to provide guidance and feedback from service users and local residents. This study of the Dundee Families Project was intended to evaluate the processes, outcomes and costs of the Project, using primarily qualitative methods. Data were gathered from case records, adult and child service users, Project staff, and key stakeholders. In addition, due to the initial controversial response by the media and local people, the views of residents in the immediate vicinity of the Project were also obtained. Finally, a partial cost benefit analysis of the Project was conducted. Details: Edinburgh: Scottish Stationary Office, 2001. 129p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2011 at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Year: 2001 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/158814/0043122.pdf Shelf Number: 121148 Keywords: Antisocial Behavior (Scotland)Cost-Benefit AnalysisFamiliesHomelessnessHousing |
Author: Froundigoun, Liz Title: Tackling Youth Offending and Violence: Intensive Policing and/or Dispersal Orders Summary: This research for Strathclyde Police was supported by a small grant from the Scottish Institute for Policing Research (SIPR). The research was requested by Strathclyde Police to examine two specific policing initiatives – The Enhanced Policing Plan and Dispersal Orders - for dealing with youth on-street disorder and violence in B Division; historically these neighbourhoods have been characterised by the endemic problem of youth on-street disorder, violence and gang activity. It set out specifically to examine if there was evidence of any long-term benefits from the Enhanced Policing Plan (EPP), an innovative partnership approach to policing in BD sub-division - Shettleston, Baillieston and Greater Easterhouse - which ran in the 6-month period from October, 2007 to February, 20081; and to examine the implementation and efficacy of Dispersal Orders in the neighbouring BA sub-division – Dennistoun, Parkhead and Bridgeton. The EPP was developed in accordance with ACPOS Public Reassurance Strategy and delivered in conjunction with Community Planning Limited (CPP) through a multi-agency approach2 following the ethos for the Community Planning and Community Regeneration Fund. It drew on the principles of the Glasgow City Centre Policing Plan, Operation Reclaim, Operation Phoenix, and Glasgow Anti-Social Behaviour Task Force where intensive policing and the delivery of diversionary activities, were found to have had a significant impact on the levels of reported crime, violence and gang activity. It was structured specifically to increase public reassurance through intensive policing by addressing on the one hand local concerns about youth and gang activity; and on the other the needs of these youths through the delivery of a combination of educational and diversionary activities. Dispersal Orders had been implemented in various areas of BA sub-division prior to the introduction of the EPP, around the same time as the EPP was running, and again during the period of this study, September 2009 – January 2010, to address alcohol-related on-street disorder and violence. Scottish Police Forces were given the power to introduce Dispersal Orders in the Anti-Social Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. These controversial orders (Crawford & Lister, 2007) confer on the police the discretion to disperse groups of 2 or more individuals whom they deem to be likely to cause anti-social behaviour. The perception on the part of the police service in Scotland is that, in comparison to England and Wales, the nature and activities of youth on-street disorder and gang membership in Scotland are based on ‘territorialism’, a distinction which is generally perceived as being the most significant characteristic, whereas the relationship with organised crime that is said to characterise the criminality of gang membership in other locations in the UK is thought to be less significant in these locations. Therefore, after the deployment of these two approaches aimed at encouraging desistence from criminality associated with gang membership and on-street youth disorder, it is important to re-examine the perceptions, concerns and needs of the local communities, particularly those of the young people, and the police on: the effects the initiatives have had for on-street disorder and violence, gang activity and territorialism; perceptions of policing; and young people’s perceptions of diversionary activities and local facilities available to them in the communities in which they live. The research accordingly aims to establish what can be learned from these two diverse policing approaches and to identify any changes: in crime levels during the period when Dispersal Orders were implemented; in crime levels since the end of the period of implementation of the EPP; in the views of the police, community planning partners, youth workers and young people about what it is like living in the East End of Glasgow; in the effect gang and violent behaviour has had/is having on their neighbourhood; in the community views and perceptions of the effectiveness of the EPP and Dispersal Orders in tackling these behaviours, and in increasing public reassurance within the area; in what youths identify they need to encourage them to make attitudinal changes in making life choices; and in the working partnerships of the CPP and the police. Details: Glasgow: Glasgow Caledonian University, 2010. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 11, 2011 at: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Youth_offending_2010.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.sipr.ac.uk/downloads/Youth_offending_2010.pdf Shelf Number: 123313 Keywords: Alcohol Related Crimes, DisorderAntisocial Behavior (Scotland)Disorderly ConductGangsNuisance Behaviors and DisordersPolicing Public DisorderPublic Order ManagementPublic Space |