Antisocial Behavior

Issues of 'deviance,' 'delinquency,' 'disorder,' and 'incivilities' have occupied politicians and policy makers for many years. The current widespread policy focus on 'antisocial behavior' draws heavily on theories, which advocate early intervention for low-level nuisance and disorder, to break perceived links with more serious subsequent criminal behavior. This 'widening of the net' of forms of social control associated with these issues has necessitated that social workers curb the behavior of alleged unruly people. This control function potentially places practitioners at odds with widely held social work ethics and value and has implications for social work practice and education.