Offenders
There is a lack of hard evidence regarding perpetrators who commit anti-social
behaviour and why. More information needs to be collected.
A recent study identified the following risk factors as increasing the likelihood
of criminal or offending behaviour in a community.39
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Family
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parental criminality
poor parental supervision/discipline
low family income/social
isolation
family conflict
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School
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lack of commitment to school (truancy and exclusions)
disruptive behaviour (including
bullying)
low achievement
school disorganisation
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Individual/peer
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alienation/lack of social commitment
early involvement in problem behaviour
peer
involvement in problem behaviour
high proportion of unsupervised time spent with
peers
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Early adulthood
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lack of skills or qualifications
unemployment or low income
homelessness
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Community
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community disorganisation
availability of drugs
opportunity for crime
high
percentage of children in the community
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A recent study of 93 families referred to a project specialising in helping perpetrators
of anti-social behaviour found that all the families were affected by at least two
of the factors listed below: 40:
Figure 3: Risk factors and anti-social behaviour (all factors relate to adults,
unless otherwise stated)
Whilst these factors cannot be said to be causal factors and indeed some, such
as homelessness, may well be an effect of the anti-social behaviour, they do indicate
the broad range of issues involved. The factors correspond closely with the results
of work undertaken by researchers at Sheffield Hallam University on the recorded vulnerabilities
of perpetrators.41
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