Introduction
Anti-social behaviour (ASB) in your neighbourhood can make life miserable. It is unacceptable behaviour that comes in many forms – such as noise, abusive behaviour, littering, or illegal drug use – and once encountered, it’s good to know who to report it to.
It isn’t always straight-forward to know who can help. That’s because many local organisations – including the police, local authorities, and The Pioneer Group as a social housing landlord – have different powers, roles and responsibilities to help and support victims.
This information aims to make it easier for you to know how to get help to tackle anti-social behaviour. It sets out the powers, roles and responsibilities of the different local organisations so you know where to get help in their situation. We would always encourage tenants of The Pioneer Group to talk to us if you are experiencing ASB so we can discuss your options and agree with you an action plan to address it.
What is anti-social behaviour (ASB)?
Anti-social behaviour includes a range of nuisance and criminal behaviours which are causing distress to others. Whether someone’s actions can be classed as anti-social behaviour relies heavily on the impact it has on other people.
Behaviour that is more frequent or persistent is more likely to be considered as anti-social behaviour. The type and intensity of the behaviour also matters.
Landlords, the police, and local authorities consider all these factors when deciding how best to deal with reports of anti-social behaviour. Each report is looked at individually by considering the suffering of the victims and the impact on the wider community.
The Pioneer Group has policies for dealing with domestic abuse, for which there are separate legal protections, and which is not regarded as ASB. Please contact us straight away if you need support with domestic abuse.