The ‘ASBO generation’ make the headlines most weeks in Britain’s news media, with stories about the bad behaviour of teenagers; binge drinking, drug taking, sex, crime, violence and vandalism.

The label conjures up a picture of hooded teenagers hanging out on the street in large groups, making a lot of noise, shouting and swearing or threatening passers by, and has come to stand for poor values and a lack of respect.

The term comes from the laws brought in to tackle bad behaviour, the Crime and Disorder Act in 1998 and the Anti-Social Behaviour Act that followed in 2003, which define anti-social behaviour as “behaviour that caused or was likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to one or more persons not of the same household.”

More than 10,000 ‘Anti social Behaviour Orders’ or ASBO’s have been issued since 1998 - mainly to stop people from doing certain things or going to certain places.

Orders have been granted for abusive behaviour, excessive noise, swearing, drunken behaviour or vandalism. The order may state that someone who keeps shoplifting is banned from certain shops. Real examples include a 13-year-old boy who has been banned from using the word “grass”, a 17-year-old forbidden to use his front door and an 87-year-old man stopped from saying sarcastic things.

They last for a minimum of two years, but can last longer, and although they are civil orders, criminal penalties can result from breaching them. Those given ASBOs can be ‘named and shamed’ in local media, and the law allows their pictures to be published.