Home Office Research Report 34
Key Implications
Summary
Main report
Perceptions of ASB are driven by processes of interpretation. There is often a mismatch between an objective measure of anti-social behaviour, and perceptions. Based on analysis of available research studies, sourced using a rapid evidence assessment methodology, this report outlines two processes of interpretation that seem to be fundamental in supporting heightened perceptions of ASB. First, people use certain ‘shorthand’ ways to judge the level of disorder in an area. Second, perceptions of ASB are linked to deeper seated anxieties about the state of society in general, and qualities of neighbourhoods in particular. Interventions that hold the potential to deliver long-lasting reductions in PASB are proposed to be rooted in processes of engagement targeted at building empathy and mutual respect.
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