Conceptualising victims of antisocial behaviour is far from ‘ideal’

Abstract

This chapter uses Christie’s (1986) ideal victim’s framework to critically deconstruct notions of anti-social behaviour (ASB) victimisation, by conceptualising individual and community experiences of ASB. An examination of 'personal' ASB (ONS, 2012) assesses how far Christie's thesis can be applied to individual victims of targeted non-criminal behaviour, with a focus on social housing, stigmatisation and vulnerability. As 'environmental' and 'nuisance' ASB (ONS, 2012) can be experienced by more than one victim, perceptions of communities suffering from ASB victimisation is also considered, with examples from both residential neighbourhoods and public spaces explored to provide a contemporary understanding of these phenomena. Overall, the chapter illustrates how political priorities, societal and media discourses, and hierarchies of victimisation make conceptualising victims of ASB far from ideal.