It’s time to stop treating anti-social behaviour as low-level

The research also shows that ASB remains widespread and, in the eyes of many residents, is getting worse. Over 40% of UK adults say ASB has increased in their local area over the past three years, while one in five people experience ASB at least once a fortnight.

For housing providers, this matters profoundly. ASB is not simply a tenancy management issue or a matter of neighbourhood nuisance. It goes to the heart of resident safety, trust, community cohesion and tenancy sustainment.

When ASB is not addressed quickly and effectively, confidence in local agencies is eroded, victims feel abandoned and harm is allowed to escalate.

“If victims and witnesses do not report ASB because they do not know how, fear repercussions, cannot report anonymously or believe nothing will be done, then agencies are left responding to only a partial picture”

One of the most concerning findings from the research is the scale of underreporting. Two-thirds (63%) of victims and witnesses who experienced ASB in the past three years did not report it to anybody. That should concern us all.

If victims and witnesses do not report ASB because they do not know how, fear repercussions, cannot report anonymously or believe nothing will be done, then agencies are left responding to only a partial picture. Problems remain hidden until they become more serious, more complex and more costly to resolve.

We need to make reporting clearer, safer and more accessible. That means implementing nationally recognised reporting routes, anonymous options and better co-ordination between agencies so that victims are not passed from one organisation to another or left unsure of where to turn.

Reporting is only the first step; victims also need ongoing support. Often, the help available to someone experiencing ASB depends on where they live. Some areas have well-developed victim support services and strong partnership arrangements; others do not. This postcode lottery is unacceptable.

Victims of persistent and harmful ASB should be able to expect timely advice, advocacy and specialist assistance wherever they live. The housing sector knows that good casework is not only about enforcement; it is about listening, risk assessing, safeguarding, supporting and keeping people informed throughout what can be a deeply distressing process.

We also need to address the delays that make effective action harder. Housing providers and local agencies can do everything right, only to find themselves waiting months – or even longer – for the justice system to respond. For victims, delay can mean more fear, more sleepless nights and more pressure to leave their home.

That is why Resolve is calling for a specialist housing court to help streamline housing and ASB cases, improve consistency and ensure victims, landlords and communities can access faster and more effective resolution.

“When information is not shared quickly and confidently, opportunities to protect victims and prevent escalation are missed”

Information-sharing is another longstanding barrier. ASB rarely sits neatly within the remit of one organisation. Housing providers, councils, police forces, fire and rescue services, health partners and community organisations all hold different pieces of the puzzle. When information is not shared quickly and confidently, opportunities to protect victims and prevent escalation are missed.

A single national information-sharing agreement would give customer-facing professionals the clarity and confidence they need to act. It would reduce duplication, support better partnership working and help agencies intervene earlier.

Much of the current system is reactive; agencies are often able to respond only after harm has already escalated. We need greater investment in prevention and early intervention, including youth engagement, mediation, family support, mental health support, tenancy sustainment, environmental improvements and neighbourhood outreach.

Community Safety Partnerships – multi-agency groups established under the Crime and Disorder Act – are central to this work. They understand local need, bring agencies together and are often best placed to co-ordinate early, practical responses.

They are expected to deliver complex multi-agency work, and they need appropriate direct funding to do so properly. If the government is serious about tackling ASB, resources must reach the local partnerships that can deliver change on the ground.

The message from the 2026 YouGov findings is clear: ASB is widespread, underreported and deeply harmful. It affects whether people feel safe in their neighbourhoods and, for some, whether they feel able to remain in their home.

The housing sector has a vital role to play, and many customer-facing teams are already doing exceptional work in difficult circumstances. But they cannot solve this alone. We need national leadership, clearer reporting systems, universal victim support, better information-sharing, faster access to justice, sustained investment in prevention and direct support for Community Safety Partnerships.

ASB Awareness Week is an important moment to raise awareness, but the work must continue all year round. Victims deserve to be heard, supported and protected. Communities deserve to feel safe. And anti-social behaviour must be treated as the serious national issue it is.

Rebecca Bryan, chief executive, Resolve