Anti-social behaviour has hit the headlines in the past year or so and it may seem that anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) are given out to keep you from having a laugh but they are there to protect everyone including you.
We know that the majority of young people don't set out to cause trouble but sometimes even the smallest of things like kicking a ball against somebody's wall could affect the quality of their life and therefore could be considered anti-social behaviour.
Don't worry though you're not going to get an ASBO just for having a kickabout as long as you're respecting other people and their property.
If the police have reason to believe a person is causing problems in the community then we can ask that person to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC) although they don't have to.
An ABC is a written agreement in which the person agrees to stop the offensive behaviour and to follow other specific requirements.
An ABC will not appear on a criminal record.
If the person persistently affects the quality of life in the community then the last resort is to apply an ASBO on that person.
Anyone over the age of 10 can receive an ASBO. An ASBO is a court order which can stop offenders goi ng into a certain area or spending time with certain people.
If the rules of the ASBO are broken then you will be arrested.