Damned if they do, damned if they don't: negotiating the tricky context of anti-social behaviour and keeping safe in disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods

Figures & data

Table 1. Framework of the dynamic relationships within social context and ASB.

	Stereotyping	Spatial marginalisation	Social connectivity
Stereotyping	Young people can hold stereotypes about other young people as well as adults.	Stereotypes can inform the spatial negotiation of the neighbourhood: the knowledge that teenagers drink in public parks at night may cause others to avoid these areas.	Young people's expectation that adults hold negative views and stereotypes about them lead to poorer social relationships with adults.
Spatial marginalisation	The understanding that a place is dangerous can also lead to a stereotyping of people who choose to go there (e.g. people who go to the park at night are more likely to be neds/dangerous).	All young people spoke about feeling there were places they cannot go in the neighbourhood, either through territoriality, parental restrictions or the belief that they are not welcome there.	Young people reported that by trying to avoid the ASB in the neighbourhood, they often stayed at home. This could lead to peers labelling the young people as ‘wimps’ for not going out at night.
Social connectivity	Older young people discussed that by hanging around in larger friendship groups, many were mislabelled as being gang members by adults in the neighbourhood.	Socialising with friends who were involved in territory disputes often led young people to avoid areas, or to carry weapons in case they were ‘recognised’.	Young people discussed both positive and negative relationships with different age groups within the neighbourhood. They felt that when they know adults, the relationship would be more positive.
ASB, anti-social behaviour.