What is an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) / Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC)?
When a person has shown anti-social behaviour for six months and when the court believes that a person will not stop behaving in this way, they can be given an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO). It is a civil order that protects the public. Anyone aged 10 or over can be given an ASBO. ASBOs are not meant to punish the person and do not appear on their criminal record. But, if the order is broken it is a criminal offence. If a person is involved in low-level anti-social behaviour and has been warned before, they can be given an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC). An ABC is a non-legally binding written agreement between the police or council and the offender. An ABC outlines what the person should or should not do and what will happen if the agreement is broken.
