Keeping the peace
As the government begins to rolls out its Big Society initiative, a new RSA essay calls for better involvement of citizens and public sector workers in tackling anti-social behaviour.
The Woolwich model: Can citizens tackle anti-social behaviour? argues that people working in the public sector should be trained to deal with social disorder and defuse conflict. Written by Ben Rogers, the essay takes its inspiration from the 'Woolwich model', a late 19th-century innovation that turned first-aid training into an international movement.
Despite growing public concern about crime in local communities, most attempts to combat social disorder have been police-centred. Meanwhile, the willingness of citizens to intervene has declined. The essay claims that, with public service resources more stretched than ever, collaboration - or co-production - can help maintain community safety. It advocates the training of frontline public servants who already have a role in the community in skills such as self-protection, mediation and conflict resolution.
According to the essay, such a move would help people to identify real risks to the community and decide when to involve the police force, as well as foster greater local discussion on the nature and causes of anti-social behaviour. Rogers said: "If we’re to tackle anti-social behaviour, then communities need to become more confident in their ability to solve their own problems without always resorting to state-led interventions."
This is one of a series of short pamphlets published by the RSA that explore the concept of 21st century enlightenment. Read all three pamphlets published to date – by Matthew Taylor, Ben Rogers and Paul Ormerod respectively.
The Woolwich model: Can citizens tackle anti-social behaviour? argues that people working in the public sector should be trained to deal with social disorder and defuse conflict. Written by Ben Rogers, the essay takes its inspiration from the 'Woolwich model', a late 19th-century innovation that turned first-aid training into an international movement.
Despite growing public concern about crime in local communities, most attempts to combat social disorder have been police-centred. Meanwhile, the willingness of citizens to intervene has declined. The essay claims that, with public service resources more stretched than ever, collaboration - or co-production - can help maintain community safety. It advocates the training of frontline public servants who already have a role in the community in skills such as self-protection, mediation and conflict resolution.
According to the essay, such a move would help people to identify real risks to the community and decide when to involve the police force, as well as foster greater local discussion on the nature and causes of anti-social behaviour. Rogers said: "If we’re to tackle anti-social behaviour, then communities need to become more confident in their ability to solve their own problems without always resorting to state-led interventions."
This is one of a series of short pamphlets published by the RSA that explore the concept of 21st century enlightenment. Read all three pamphlets published to date – by Matthew Taylor, Ben Rogers and Paul Ormerod respectively.
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