Victims’ experiences of Community Protection Notices: The need for an underpinning restorative approach to protecting victims of anti-social behaviour

This article presents the key findings from an independently led qualitative master’s dissertation published recently in the International Review of Victimology, which examined victims’ experiences of Community Protection Notices (CPNs) (Rodgers, 2022). The project took place between June and August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice Practice course at Sheffield Hallam University. The rationale for undertaking the project centred around raising awareness and knowledge about CPNs amongst victims and practitioners alike, with the research conducted in collaboration with the victims’ charity ASB Help. This research is one of the first pieces to address the new power introduced by the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act (2014), besides the work of Heap et al. (2021, Forthcoming), which looks at the experiences of recipients and practitioners. In contrast, this project provides the victims’ perspective of the CPN process. The research highlights concerns around transparency, accountability, the correctability of requirements imposed, and victim involvement in the CPN process. In response, three empirically grounded recommendations and a model outline anti-social behaviour (ASB) victims’ needs and vulnerabilities. Finally, the accounts highlight the need for an authentically restorative approach underpinning the CPN process.