ASBOs: for or against?

Question

please give reasons

Answer 1

Totally for......but isn't it obvious why???

Answer 2

Against. Although they are not criminal orders (they are part of civil law), once a person breaches their ASBO, they become subject to criminal law. This means that there a whole set of behaviours which are not against the law as such for which people eventually end up being brought before the criminal court.

An example: I was in Court a few months ago and there was a 16 year old boy in the dock. He had been made subject to an ASBO a few months before, and one of its conditions was that he must not associate with a particular friend with whom he had presumably been causing a nuisance to the local community. Someone had reported seeing him with the friend and he had been brought before the Court for breach of the ASBO. In other words, meeting a friend had become a criminal matter, and the young man was facing criminal punishment.

I have concerns that ASBOs are being used to demonise/criminalise a whole bunch of quite normal behaviours which teenagers have been indulging in for many years, such as hanging round in groups in public, bugging the neighbours, being noisy, etc.

Answer 3

i'm for them but it can be difficult to identify who has been issued one as the public do not know whether locals have been given an ASBO unless a story is published in the local/national papers or tv and that they have read/seen it of course. i'm not sure what the right way to deal with it is really, however if it stops 1 out of 5 youths from being a nuisance in their community it is an effective form of punishment.

Answer 4

I,m Totally for the use of ASBOS , with one little addition , they should have a Flashing Light ,Riveted to their Head and a Tattoo on their forehead for each one they collect .ie Prat 1 , Prat 2 Etc ..

Answer 5

Personally I dont think ASBOs are a success, just another crackpot govt idea. Even the kids themselcves think of them as a way to increase their streetcred. However, I do believe we should reintroduce the stocks. Then the kids wouldn't be laughing then would they ????

Answer 6

I am totally for ASBO's the best thing since sliced bread

Answer 7

Against - They don't seem to be working, apparently in the five or so years they have been running only one person has been taken off the register for being good, everyone else has ignored it!

Answer 8

Yes, I'm for them, they plug a gap left by police not wanting to get involved with "trivial" things like nusicance neighbours or being too scared to handle anti-social yobs (the police don't come when you report these things.).

Answer 9

Against - I can't really see the point in them - realistically, no-one is going to change their behaviour because of some rules on a piece of paper that say they have to.

Answer 10

Against... not a strong enough deterrent... We could take up Sharia law... chop off a finger first, then a hand, then two hands, then hang them... but I know that many people will think this is wrong and a little harsh... because the Muslims thought of it first ;)

Answer 11

for definately, i have been through 6 cars since living in my area due to vandalism, plus people peeing through my letterbox and chucking lit fags through my letterbox. i think they should all get asbos