ASBO
noun /ˈæzbəʊ/
/ˈæzbəʊ/
(plural ASBOs)
- (in the UK until 2014) an order made by a court that said that somebody had to stop behaving in a harmful or annoying way to other people (the abbreviation for ‘antisocial behaviour order’) CultureASBOs were introduced in 1998 and replaced in 2014 with the Criminal Behaviour Order. Examples of behaviour for which an ASBO was given are vandalism (= destroying or damaging property), harassment (= annoying or worrying people by saying or doing unpleasant things), causing a lot of noise, etc. Anybody who broke the conditions of the order could be charged with a criminal offence.Topics Crime and punishmentc2