Programme 4 - Ben
The programme aims to help young people think about:
- the importance of community
- antisocial behaviour
Learners will:
- enhance their understanding of other people's experiences and points of view
- understand better how others see them and how their behaviour can lead to misunderstanding
- enhance their understanding of ASBOs
Ben is a 15-year-old student who has been in trouble with the police once but feels he has learned his lesson. He spends most of his time with friends who have received Anti Social Behaviour Orders or ASBOs and he fears that he will be next. In fact in July 2004 his village, Yarnfield in Staffordshire, received the biggest number of ASBOs ever given.
Ben seeks excitement in a 'boring' village where there's nothing to do: no decent shops and no skate park. Ben's friend, Reece, received an ASBO for spitting, swearing and riding his bike dangerously. Ben doesn't think this is antisocial behaviour and thinks they are being punished for doing everyday things.
Ben's father is supportive and feels that the youngsters' behaviour has been exaggerated. Reece's father doesn't think that anything has changed in the village since he was young except that there are more children than ever.
Some residents, though, have been filming young people after dark. One of the residents says she has seen some youngsters causing serious damage to her property and so the council gave her the video camera. She didn't feel comfortable filming them but she felt she was left with no option. Another neighbour calls the man from the council because she has been receiving hoax calls that she finds very upsetting. She was not a witness in court and yet has been harassed for six years. Ben claims this was a one-off occurrence and that two hours of video footage was made for a few minutes of youngsters doing something wrong. He says the cost of the video surveillance and investigations could have been better spent on creating something for the young villagers.
The village has been divided and there's no communication. The parents say this should have been sorted out years ago when it all started, then no ASBOs would have been issued at all.
