# Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003, Section 26: Parenting orders in respect of criminal conduct and anti-social behaviour : youth offending teams

Extent: E+W

(1) This section applies where a child or young person has been referred to a youth offending team.
(2) A member of the youth offending team may apply to a magistrates' court for a parenting order in respect of a parent of the child or young person.
(3) If such an application is made, the court may make a parenting order in respect of a parent of the child or young person if it is satisfied—
(a) that the child or young person has engaged in criminal conduct or anti-social behaviour, and
(b) that making the order would be desirable in the interests of preventing the child or young person from engaging in further criminal conduct or further anti-social behaviour.
(4) A parenting order is an order which requires the parent—
(a) to comply, for a period not exceeding twelve months, with such requirements as are specified in the order, and
(b) subject to subsection (5), to attend, for a concurrent period not exceeding three months, such counselling or guidance programme as may be specified in directions given by the responsible officer.
(5) A parenting order under this section may, but need not, include a requirement mentioned in subsection (4)(b) in any case where a parenting order under this section or any other enactment has been made in respect of the parent on a previous occasion.
(6) A counselling or guidance programme which a parent is required to attend by virtue of subsection (4)(b) may be or include a residential course but only if the court is satisfied that the following two conditions are fulfilled.
(7) The first condition is that the attendance of the parent at a residential course is likely to be more effective than his attendance at a non-residential course in preventing the child or young person from engaging in further criminal conduct or further anti-social behaviour.
(8) The second condition is that any interference with family life which is likely to result from the attendance of the parent at a residential course is proportionate in all the circumstances.
(9) A person is eligible to be the responsible officer in relation to a parenting order under this section only if he is a member of a youth offending team.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2003/38/section/26 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/anti-social-behaviour-act-2003/section-26
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.