What do you think about the Respect agenda and the government’s concentration on tackling antisocial behaviour?
I thought the re-launched Respect agenda gave me some encouragement as it had an emphasis on parenting and I have seen both in what Barnardo’s do and what the YJB is doing and I think there’s a lot that can be achieved by working with families and helping parenting. Parenting is really tough for any of us – it’s almost impossible when you’re in poverty. So that’s very encouraging. But there are other parts of the Respect agenda that I am concerned about. I think asbos on themselves are a hopeless waste of time for young people and they are catapulting some children and young people into custody who wouldn’t otherwise be anywhere near custody and that’s very disturbing. I’ve said publicly before that asbos have their place if we are wrapping a lot of support around the young person and the family as well but asbos on their own and asbos as we’ve seen given for 3 and 4 years to a 14- year-old, that’s infinity, that’s ludicrous. Do you think antisocial behaviour legislation is biased unfa
