ASBOs could be quite effective with adults — but dealing with difficult juveniles is not that simple

Retired garda sergeant Graham Kavanagh says that when it comes to antisocial behaviour, particularly from teenagers, the worst thing we can do is pretend that one legal mechanism is capable of solving all of the problems

Most antisocial behaviour is made up of things like causing problems for neighbours or creating an ongoing nuisance around an estate

When antisocial behaviour orders were introduced almost 20 years ago, there was quite a bit of talk about them and what they might achieve. Looking back now, having actually worked with the legislation, I think there is an important distinction between what looked good on paper and what was practical on the ground.

From 2008 to 2017, I held the community policing sergeant portfolio. It was a relatively peaceful area, but like every town and community, it had its moments. We dealt with noisy parties, persistent nuisance in housing estates, disputes between neighbours and families, intimidation and, of course, young people getting involved in antisocial behaviour and sometimes progressing into more serious offending. Community policing was often about trying to stop those problems from getting worse.