At the 2005 Labour Party Conference the then Home Secretary Charles Clarke (2005a) stated that the party had to show by the next general election that it had “eliminated the anti-social behaviour and disrespect which still blights the lives of so many”. Beyond the simple observation that no party could ever be expected to achieve such a goal, this statement highlights the political importance that anti-social behaviour (ASB) is currently thought to have. With this being the case, what can be achieved by tackling (if not eliminating) ASB? This chapter critically considers some of the definitional issues relating to ASB, where the most serious forms of ASB occur, and some of the potential causes of ASB. Various rationales for tackling ASB are considered; however, the main focus is on a relationship between tackling ASB and regenerating neighbourhoods. In national policy documentation problems of ASB are frequently linked to concerns of neighbourhood decline. For example, in the foreword to the government's Policy Action Team report into ASB (SEU, 2000b) – as part of the National strategy for neighbourhood renewal – Charles Clarke states: “Anti-social behaviour destroys lives and shatters communities. It is a widespread problem but its effects are often most damaging in communities that are already fragile. If left unchecked it can lead to neighbourhood decline with people moving away and tenants abandoning housing” (p 6). It is logical from this position that tackling ASB may halt, or even reverse, such decline, thus contributing to a much-heralded ‘urban renaissance’ (Urban Task Force, 1999). While this may be simplistic, and downplays other factors influencing decline (Hancock, 2006), tackling ASB could have a part to play in neighbourhood regeneration (and conversely, regeneration could lead to reductions in ASB).

This chapter draws mainly from two recent research projects: the first a study conducted for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) (Millie, Jacobson, McDonald, & Hough, 2005) involving a national survey of public opinion and interviews and focus groups in three neighbourhoods with problems of ASB; the second a critical review of ASB for the Nuffield Foundation (Jacobson, Millie, & Hough, forthcoming) involving interviews in five areas.