Aspies For Freedom

What's an ASBO?

Anti-Social Behaviour Order I think - it's a kind of punishment used to bind people to staying out of certain areas, refrain from doing certain things etc., if they have not been able to stop themselves from misbehaving. Kind of a last-ditch attempt, where it's not just a warning any more if you break the order.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1883277.stm

They are usually used with youngsters who who vandalise or commit attacks or theft in certain areas, or people who persistently use foul language or disturb their neighbours with smelly rubbish or loud music e.g. if they can't be there without hurting people or destroying stuff, then they should stay away, or they have to refrain completely from certain behaviours.

In theory, if used appropriately (and if an autistic youngster persistently offends, I think they need explanations and perhaps distractions, rather than ASBOS), I think it's a good idea although I am not sure how effective they are, and whether they don't just move the vandalism etc. elsewhere!

In Australia we have restraining orders, usually taken out against violent ex-boyfriends or estranged husbands, which are broken often and seem to have little effect on truly dangerous men.

In Australia we also have "getting thrown out of the place" which requires no court order, but is sometimes used against aspies who cause trouble for people. You don't need no fancy legislation to get an aspie booted out by security guards.

How often when watching the recent General Election on television did I see individuals to whom an Anti-Social Behaviour Order most clearly ought to apply, but for some reason did not.

Stella

One thing that stood out for me as a reason to put ASBO's on people was people who might ordinarily refuse treatment for a condition be left facing jail if they didn't accept what was on offer from whatever services there was available in the area. Services available can often be inappropriate or inadequate and it seems to me to be part of a government drive to further restrict the rights of people by forcing them into treatment for behaviour that is natural to them as stimming is for people on the spectrum.

I'm wondering if perhaps these orders should be renamed to Anti-Society Behavioural Orders because they aren't exactly bringing communties together.

Not that I even had one molecule of respect for Phony Tony but if I had of done he'd have surely lost it by now. Who is Bliar trying to gain respect from exactly I wonder because it certaintly isn't the general public  :?

Part of it is. In fact it's that certain tribe of people commonly referred to as Middle Englanders who generally tend to be concerned with issues such as high crime and favour tough penalties on certain undesirables. They also tend to be one of the crucial types of people any party (Labour and Conservative especially) wants to have on their side. The Disabled/Neurodiverse vote doesn't really register that much nationally at the moment so Blair doesn't have to worry about it.

Incidentally I was at a Politics open day/interview for Queen Mary college down in London and found myself talking to a guy who was a member of the Young Conservative party. He said semi-jokingly that Blair would be a good Conservative Prime Minister. Looking at these policies he does have point  

Personally I can see the good side to ASBO's but I think they should be used even handedly and certainly not against freedom of speech/(within reason).

Yob drive 'should target causes'  

The government should do more to fight the social causes of anti-social behaviour, as well as punishing yobs, a study of public attitudes suggests.  See BBC News:-

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4614821.stm

Research findings in report by the Josepth Rowntree Foundation called:-
'Anti-social behaviour strategies: finding a balance' at:-

http://www.jrf.org.uk/knowledge/findings...g/0305.asp

Dr Richard Light, UK representative of Disabled People at the UN Disability Convention....

From: Dr Richard Light <info@un-convention.info>
To: Colin Revell <colrevs@hotmail.co.uk>
Subject: ASBOs
Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 18:48:35 +0100

Dear Colin,

Just to let you know that I have several meetings and phone calls about
ASBOs and people with neurodiverse impairments.  I am planning to go to
meetings of the ‘ain’t misbehavin’ campaign and Anne Pridmore, Chair of
BCODP Is supporting my request for BCODP to campaign on this issue.  I will keep you posted on further developments as they happen.

All the best,

Richard