A new report from the Victims’ Commissioner highlights the damaging impact of persistent anti-social behaviour on its victims.
The survey of over 500 victims found that 63% still face unresolved issues despite reporting to authorities; 2 in 5 cases ongoing for over five years
Victims were targeted for hours, day and night and many victims developed serious mental health issues as a result
The Victims’ Commissioner said that “Victims are being pushed to the brink”
The report comes five years after Baroness Newlove’s landmark report, Living a Nightmare, first highlighted the plight of victims of persistent anti-social behaviour victims and called for change, her latest report reveals no meaningful progress has been made.
Most victims who participated in the research reported being tormented for years. Despite reporting the anti-social behaviour to a responsible agency, such as the police, local authority or housing association, 63% of victims said they were still being targeted when replying to the survey. A staggering 40% of those who had reported the behaviour were still suffering from issues that predate Baroness Newlove’s 2019 report. Less than a third said they have received any help or support.
Sharing their experience, one victim said: My house used to be, a place of solace and comfort, really. And then it became, I think, like a prison.
Victims’ pleas are often ignored or go unheard. 4 in 5 victims reported the anti-social behaviour to the police, local authorities or housing associations in hope of resolving the issue. Yet for a majority of victims, the abuse remained unresolved, and the report highlights several instances where victims were ignored or dismissed by the responsible agencies, with one victim even recounting being laughed at by a police officer.
One victim said: For three years at least, police didn’t do nothing. Nothing at all. They just told us not to react and just to report.
The report reveals that being persistently targeted by various forms of anti-social behaviour for hours day and night, over a prolonged period, takes a severe toll on victims. It affects many aspects of their daily lives, including their mental health and wellbeing. Victims who responded to the survey report the detrimental impact upon their sleep, relationships, and ability to work. Some suffered so greatly that they contemplated taking their own life.
One victim said: I suffered with really bad anxiety through it. It got to the point where I felt my mental health got that low, that I felt the only way out was the inevitable, you know. I didn’t want to be here anymore. That’s how bad it got.
Nearly 4 in 5 victims experienced at least two different types of anti-social behaviour – increasing to three different types for as many as 60% of those surveyed. They describe a combination of persistent noise nuisance, verbal abuse, harassment, and intimidation – the most common types of anti-social behaviours – often with no end in sight.
Some were left with no choice but to move house entirely to escape:
I’ve lived here 23 years. I would not have moved if it wasn’t for her…I’m actually waiting to move. We’re just waiting on an exchange date. That’s the only way I’m able to get out of it.
However, this option isn’t available to all victims and nor should it need to be. Yet in some cases, their situation has become so desperate, they feel forced to explore this last resort.
Commenting on the report and its findings, the Victims’ Commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said:
“Anti-social behaviour blights lives and communities. All too often it is not addressed effectively, often downplayed, and poorly understood. Despite my previous report setting out clear recommendations, I am disappointed that so little meaningful progress has been made. Too many victims continue to suffer, with many stuck in the same patterns of anti-social behaviour and facing the same perpetrators as five years ago. The time for empty promises is over – we now need real, tangible progress.”
