Has your friend been a victim of anti-social behaviour?
Anti-social behaviour comes in lots of different forms and how someone is affected by it can vary. To find out what types there are visit our ‘Get the facts’ page.
Anti-social behaviour can be difficult to deal with. Your friend might feel as though:
- there is nothing anyone can do to help them
- somebody might seek revenge or the anti-social behaviour might get worse if they report it
- no-one really cares
But people do care and there are lots of things your friend can do such as:
- keeping a diary of what's happening
- making sure their parents, teacher or other responsible adults know about it
- telling their Safer Schools Officer or local Safer Neighbourhoods Team
- contacting their local Anti-social Behaviour Team (usually based in the Council)
Report it
If your friend doesn't want to talk to anyone, you could do it for them. It might feel like you're doing something behind their back, but it won't stop until something is done.
- You could go to your nearest police station or speak to your Safer Schools Officer or Safer Neighbourhoods Team - if it's an emergency you should call 999.
- Or for more information visit the ‘Reporting crime’ section on the Metropolitan Police website or the ‘How to contact us’ page on this site.
- Also, your local authority might have an anti-social behaviour hotline. Check your local authority website for details.
Getting more help
For more information about anti-social behaviour visit our ‘Get the facts’ or ‘More help and advice’ pages. This includes links to websites such as ‘Victim Support’ and ‘Youth Justice Board’.
For other related topics, take a look at our sections on bullying and gangs and group violence.
Being the victim of anti-social behaviour can be traumatic for your friend. You could encourage them to think about speaking to a professional in confidence on a free helpline like ChildLine or chat online to a CyberMentor. See below for details.
ChildLine
ChildLine is the free helpline for children and young people in the UK, Children and young people can call 0800 1111 to talk about any problem.
CyberMentors
CyberMentors is all about young people helping and supporting each other online.
If you're being bullied or are troubled by something, CyberMentors is where you can go for help.