This report is based on a research study that was commissioned by the Anti-Social Behaviour Unit in the Home Office to assess the impact and effectiveness of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs). This work represents one of the few studies to date to be carried out on ASBOs, and aims to chart the development and use of ASBOs following recent legislative changes. Against a background of growing public concern about anti-social behaviour (ASB), the use of ASBOs has become widely identified as potentially the most significant sanction to address ASB. Its use, however, has been surrounded by considerable controversy, although the evidence on which this controversy is based is conspicuously limited. This research therefore aims to throw some light on these issues and to examine the attitudes and experiences of key agencies, witnesses, residents and, importantly, offenders. The research was conducted mainly in the South East of England, although parts of the Midlands were also included. It therefore provides a selective rather than a randomised or representative sample. However, the information gathered in the course of this research provides a useful and timely indication of the role, impact and effectiveness of ASBOs from the perspectives of the main parties most directly involved in their use.