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Parenting Orders

A Parenting Order is a court order which usually means a parent or carer must attend parenting classes (sometimes called parenting programmes/interventions). Parents may also be ordered to meet other conditions, like making sure their child stays at home at certain times, or attend meetings with their child’s teachers. These can last for up to three months, and are intended to help improve the child’s behaviour.

When can they be used?

Parenting Orders can be given when a pupil has been excluded from school for serious bad behaviour, either permanently or for the second time in 12 months. They can also be applied for as a result of persistent truanting, or when a child or young person has displayed (or is at risk of displaying) anti-social or criminal behaviour, and when parenting is considered a factor in the child's behaviour.

Why were they introduced?

Parenting programmes help parents gain the skills and confidence they need, and have helped reduce youth crime and anti-social behaviour. Over 90 per cent of parents who have been on a parenting programme said they would recommend it to other parents in their situation.
For further information on parenting programmes, contact your local authority.

• Get information about Parenting Orders and parenting programmes from your local lauthority Opens new window

Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs)

ASBOs can be used for anyone aged 10 or over as a punishment for harassing, or causing alarm or distress to a person or people not part of their own household.
The ASBO, which lasts for a minimum of two years, forbids the offender from going to certain places – e.g. town centres, public areas – in order to protect members of the public from their behaviour. They must also behave well wherever they are and may be asked not to socialise with certain people.
The minimum two-year term can be reviewed if the offender shows real signs of improved behaviour. If the offender breaks the terms of the order they can be fined or may even face up to five years in prison.

How you can apply for an ASBO to be introduced

Applications for ASBOs can be made by the following:

• local authorities: district councils, London boroughs, the Corporation of London, the Isle of Wight, the Isles of Scilly, Welsh counties or county boroughs and English county councils 
• police forces and the British Transport Police
• Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) and Housing Action Trusts (HATs)

These applications must go through a magistrates’ court. ASBOs can also be made on sentencing for a criminal offence. However, an ASBO is a civil order which means that unless the ASBO is broken, the offender will not be given a criminal record.

• More information on ASBOs and other orders (crime, justice and the law section)

Individual support orders (ISOs)

An ISO is a support programme aimed at helping young people aged between 10 and 17 change their anti-social behaviour. Their purpose is to tackle the underlying causes of a young person’s anti-social behaviour, by imposing positive conditions.

They are usually issued to people who are already subject to an ASBO, and involve counselling for problems such as drugs and anger management.
They are also designed to involve parents in improving the young person’s behaviour, as parents can be fined if an ISO is broken.

More useful links

• School discipline and exclusions
• School attendance, absence and your child
• School attendance and absence: the law