Survey finds 6% of UK households moved due to anti-social behaviour

A survey of more than 2,000 adults found that 6% of households have moved because of anti-social behaviour, according to pollsters at YouGov working with the charity Resolve. Another 28% of respondents said such behaviour had made them feel unsafe in their homes.

One in seven people said they had considered moving for the same reason. The data also showed that 63% of people who experienced anti-social behaviour in the past three years did not report it to police.

Scale of incidents and official response Police forces record more than one million anti-social behaviour incidents each year, the National Police Chiefs' Council stated. Each of the 43 police forces in England and Wales has appointed a dedicated anti-social behaviour lead following a neighbourhood policing guarantee announced in April 2025.

The Victims and Prisoners Act received Royal Assent in 2024. Two years later, the legislation has not yet been implemented nationwide. The Act was intended to strengthen victims' rights, reform the parole system, and restrict certain rights of serious offenders in prison.

correspondence The Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales sent a letter to the Justice Secretary calling for full implementation of the Act. The letter stated that victims continue to face a gap between promised rights and actual support until the required systems are in place.

Fewer than half of victims, around 42%, expressed confidence that they can achieve justice through the current system. Around 27% of respondents said they had been referred to specialist support services. Crime and Policing Minister Sarah Jones said anti-social behaviour undermines pride in neighbourhoods and that authorities will not tolerate it.