If the police or local authority has evidence that someone's behaviour is causing problems for the community, they can ask the person to sign an Acceptable Behaviour Contract (ABC).  ABCs can be given to anyone, regardless of how old they are.

An ABC is a voluntary written agreement, meaning that it is not given out by the courts and it will not be recorded on a criminal record.  It lists a number of things that someone agrees not to do anymore, like hanging out in certain areas with certain people.

By signing the agreement, the person agrees to stop the damaging behaviour and to follow any other requirements of the contract.  They may have to attend school or college more regularly or attend counselling sessions.

The agreement is also signed by the local organisations that wish to stop the behaviour.  This may be the police, the local authority, the youth offending team or a housing association.  If the contract involves someone under the age of 18, their parent or guardian will also sign it.

ABCs usually last for six months and the person will be monitored by the organisation who also signed the contract to ensure the agreement is not broken.  If someone does break their agreement, the organisation will decide what action will be taken next.  This could mean extending the contract, or applying for an Anti-social Behaviour Order (ASBO), or other measures depending on how the contract was broken.