How to deal with Antisocial Behaviour

Experiencing antisocial behaviour may feel distressing and difficult to tackle. Luckily there are many things that you and we can do about it.

Antisocial behaviour is when someone behaves in an unaccaptable manner, causing alarm or distress to people around them. However, there may be a fine line between antisocial behaviour and disputes between neighbours over relatively minor inconveniences.

What behaviour is antisocial behaviour and what is not?

What can you do about antisocial behaviour?

If you experience antisocial behaviour, the best thing to do is to speak with your neighbour to let them know how their behaviour is affecting you. Remember, your neighbour may not be aware that there is a problem.

Even if you are sure that your neighhour is aware that they are causing a problem, it is best to give them the chance to do something about it before taking it further. We appreciate that it may not always be possible to do this but experience has shown that it is often the simplest way of resolving the problem.

What if talking does not help?

If talking to your neighbour does not help, contact your Housing Officer. They will investigate the matter further.

It is very important that you keep a note of the date and time of any incidents, as well as the names of those who witnessed it and those you reported the incident to. Your Housing Officer will provide diary sheets on request. It is important that you not only record incidents but report as and when they happen.

Incidents of criminal activity must be reported to the Police.

What will Almond Housing Association do?

If the person causing the problem is our tenant or sharing owner we will speak to them to get their side of the story. We will remind them of the agreement they have signed and may issue a warning about their behaviour.

In some cases we will find that the person is not breaking their agreement with us but that their behaviour is still causing upset and concern to neighbours. In these cases we may refer to a mediation service.

In cases of serious antisocial behaviour where a tenant ignores a complaint and does not listen to our warnings, we may have to consider legal action. In these cases we will need you, and preferably some other witnesses, to stand up in court and give evidence on our behalf.

This makes it very important that you properly record and report incidents of antisocial behaviour promptly. When you call out the council noise team officers or the Police, they can act as witnesses to antisocial behaviour meaning you do not have to attend court.

Who else can help?

Effective solutions to antisocial behaviour problems are not the sole responsibility of the Association. Individuals, council services, landlords, victims and witnesses, the police, schools, businesses and many other individuals and groups have a role to play and help tackle antisocial behaviour.

We work closely with the Police and West Lothian Council to deal with antisocial behaviour. Every council has a strategy for dealing with antisocial behaviour in their area.

The Police have community officers working in many of the Association's areas. Call 101 to find out who your local officer is or to report a non-emergency incident. Call 999 for an emergency.