Authorities block Executive on youth ASBOs
12 Apr 05
No orders yet for anyone under 16, and little prospect of their use, says study
Not one antisocial behaviour order has been given to an under-16, according to the findings of a study reported in today's Herald.
The report by Heriot-Watt University and DTZ Pieda consultants also showed that two thirds of local authorities and housing associations said they were unlikely to use them against teenagers.
ASBOs were first introduced for adults in 1999 but were controversially extended to 12 to 15 year olds last October as a key weapon in the Executive's war on youth crime.
Legal experts have warned that applying orders to those under 16 could contravene the European Convention on Human Rights.