Jean Calder is right to challenge the naming and shaming of children served with anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs) (The Argus, April 17).

While there is no doubt that a great deal of damage and distress can be caused by a tiny minority of children behaving anti-socially, there are usually several, often complex, reasons behind their behaviour.

Aside from possible emotional and mental health problems, 70 per cent of children with ASBOs are also on the special educational needs register. Those are the facts, not justifications for bad behaviour.

Government guidelines recommend publicity be sought once orders are obtained as a way of alerting the community and providing reassurance that action is being taken to challenge anti-social behaviour.

While I agree we need some mechanism to address and ultimately control destructive behaviour if necessary, I am concerned that the children and their families run the risk of being stigmatised and will suffer further as a result of publicity.

Given the emphasis of the system is to correct an individual's behaviour, humiliation through publicity seems not only counter-productive but also rather a blunt instrument.

Brighton and Hove City Council does have a protocol guiding local ASBOs and I will be calling for advice on this issue to be included in it.

-Councillor Keith Taylor, convenor, Green Party, Hanover Terrace, Brighton