Young People With Anti-Social Behaviours:Practical Resources for Professionals

The media today suggests that many young people are becoming involved in anti-social behaviour. But increasing amounts of legislation and ASBOs neither seem to have addressed the real issues nor solved the problem, and may simply add to the frustrations of all those involved.
Kathy Hampson’s comprehensive guide is based on up-to-date, grass-roots experience of working with young people with anti-social behaviour. Including ready-to-use, photocopiable resources suitable for a wide variety of settings, it examines the background to these highly topical issues, enabling the reader to contextualise and better identify with the problems faced by the young people they work with. The easy-to-reproduce, tried-and-tested exercises:


are for use with individuals or groups


address the issues involved in offending behaviour


can be easily modified to cater for a range of learning styles, abilities and maturity, (and shows how you can identify which exercises suit which young people)


include discussion scenarios, worksheets, cartoons, card games and creative activities


can be used to dissuade young people from getting involved in anti-social behaviour, and to enable them to make better decisions

The book includes an appraisal of current research on the issues surrounding anti-social behaviour and, in particular, risk factors that may be involved ‘behind the scenes’ in young people’s lives. A section on working with parents helps them to support their children, improve their parenting skills and to know where, and how, to ask for help.
This is an essential resource offering constructive, practical solutions to anti-social behaviour in young people between the ages of 10 and 18. It will be invaluable for those working professionally or voluntarily in schools, with youth groups, youth offending teams, youth inclusion projects, faith groups, anti-social behaviour teams, or for anyone whose work offers the opportunity, or requires them, to challenge anti-social and offending behaviour.

Kathy Hampson is a Youth Justice Worker at the Leeds Youth Offending Service. She is author of Setting Up and Running a Peer Listening Scheme (Routledge).

1. Theory - Youth Justice: Risk and protection; Learning styles 2. Individual resources: General anti-social behaviour; Nuisance; Criminal damage; Truancy; Theft and burglary; Racism; Bullying; Alcohol and drugs; Consequences and the future; Empathy 3. Games 4. Group sessions: General anti-social behaviour (the junk game); Burglary; Alcohol; Drugs; Bullying; Criminal damage; Peer pressure; Racism 5. Working with Parents