Meeting of the Parliament 11 June 2026 [Draft]
I point to my entry in the register of interests, which shows that I am the chair of the Kincardine and Mearns Youth Clubs charity.
We all know that antisocial behaviour can impact local communities through severe psychological distress, increased strain on police and public resources, and the degradation of town centres and housing estates, as has been mentioned. The most profound effect is the long-term impact on the mental and physical health of the victims. Noise nuisance, harassment and intimidation cause sleep deprivation and severe anxiety and make residents change their daily routines to avoid known trouble spots. There is also the strain on police and public resources, with police leaders consistently warning that the high numbers of low-level complaints about issues such as public nuisance, vandalism and underage drinking can divert valuable resources away from tackling more serious crimes.
Widespread antisocial behaviour, including fire-raising, off-road biking, irresponsible riding of illegal e-scooters and littering in derelict and rural areas, can generate a widespread fear of crime, making residents feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods and discouraging people from fully utilising their local amenities. We need strategies that prioritise early intervention and more foot patrols, rather than relying solely on criminal justice outcomes.
Mr Beattie concentrated on antisocial behaviour among young people but, from the police reports that I see in my local area, it seems that there is actually more antisocial behaviour coming from adults. Drunken and abusive behaviour in the street and on public transport, waste accumulation in gardens, which attracts vermin, and neighbourhood noise, arguments and fighting are all issues that are regularly reported to me by constituents.
I do not want to stand here and be accusatory of any particular group; I want to balance the debate that we are having this evening. Antisocial behaviour has negative impacts where it happens, but we need to encourage all members of our communities, whether they be young or old, to take pride in the place where they live and to have consideration for their neighbours. We need to give people purpose and encourage them to take an active role in their communities, because people who have pride in their place are far more likely to look after that place and their neighbours.
I believe that the perpetrators of such behaviour are often victims themselves. They might find themselves in a spiral of behaviour from which they just do not know how to extricate themselves. When people are reported as problem neighbours, what is going on in their lives that is making them act in the way that they do? Perhaps a friendly ear and a listening for support are what is needed rather than hostility and complaints. Behaviour, good or bad, comes from how a person is coping with their personal situation, and none of us knows for sure what has happened in a person’s life to trigger such behaviours.
Understanding and compassion can go a long way. As Carol Mochan mentioned, people need to be helped to get the support services that they need. That is a major issue when many public support services are being cut by local authorities because of budget constraints. Yes, we need more police presence for prevention, but we can also use civic education in schools to instil good values in our young people. We also need better support and social services for the prevention and intervention piece with adults.
If we tackle the root causes of antisocial behaviour, the impacts can be lessened. We need more universal youth clubs, such as the charity that I run. Young people need to have constructive and safe places to go where they can socialise and learn social responsibility without being judged. We need call-outs for adult community engagement and welcoming community groups so that people can contribute to their places. We need to ensure signposting to support services for all and we need to help those support services to provide appropriate intervention through adequate funding to keep doors open.
As parliamentarians and community leaders, we have a responsibility to lead the charge, in our work here in this place and at committee, in support of our local communities, as leaders, neighbours and friends.