I think the impact constant anti-social behavior is often underestimated. I think a lot of people could relate to some of the behavior displayed on the Panorama report, even if it is far less dramatic. There is even a new term, NFH, or Neighbors From Hell which has entered the lexicon which suggests it is a common problem.

It is always the victims that have to put out. The perpetrators get visits from the council, they get warning letters, more warning letters, more visits. The behavior might die down temporarily by which time the process goes back a few steps. At a previous address I once complained about a neighbor living in a council house only to be told by the guy from the Housing Office that I was the only one complaining, implying that I was exacerbating the situation. I suggested to him that I had to work to pay a mortgage to be able to live in my house whereas my neighbor stays at home all day, bored and pays far less. Shouldn't they be even more stringent in how council tenants, in particular, behave? He reluctantly agreed.

Something else which aggravates anti social behavior is the pack mentality. A lot of this type of aggressive behavior would be reduced if people where moved around and integrated rather than 'dumped' together in area where they congregate and cause trouble. Aggressive people own their own can be far less aggressive.

Alcohol is a big factor. This country definitely has a problem with alcohol. It is obsessed with it. When some relatives from Australia came out here about 18 months ago they couldn't believe their is a chain of shops called 'Bargain Booze'. Wouldn't we be horrified if we sent our kids to get some bread and milk from the local shop called 'Crack House' or 'Opium Den' or 'Bong Joint'? Are we surprised when we see very young kids drinking alcohol when it can be bought cheaper than a soft drink? We shouldn't be.

Thee question is whether we want to get control of our communities back or not.

Watched the BBC Panorama report on displays of racism and anti-social behavior on an estate in Bristol. The displays of racism broadcast were quite disturbing but it could have been in a lot of places around the UK. I think that it is also just a part of the wider problem of what is called 'anti-social' behavior.

This type of behavior is symptomatic of the new social 'underclass' that I feel has got very little to do with wealth. Traditionally class structure was based on wealth. Working class, upper class etc. Wealth is definitely a factor in level of health and educational achievement, for instance. Class nowadays is more influenced by social or cultural factors. If the stereotypical young 'chav' won he lottery would they invest in an art collection or would they just buy more expensive alcohol?

However, from what I can tell in my job as a teacher who has dealt with a lot of kids similar to those seen on Panorama, is that we are creating a generation of unsociable, un-aspirational illiterates, who never venture further than their local and who can not even begin to understand the concept of people looking different. The ambitions of lot of kids I have seen in schools is just to get a good mobile to play with and get as drunk as possible by the end of the week. I remember watching a report on the BBC about the fake kidnapping of Shannon Mathews in Leeds lsat year. A police officer was talking about the first line of enquiry in a kidnapping case is to speak to members of the immediate family. He said that this usually involves about 20 people. In this particular case he said it involved about 200 people!

Most behavior is learnt and we have to break the cycle. There are a many reasons that contribute to dysfunctional classes and behavior. I believe a major culprit is the educational system. Most schools only concentrate on the students who get them good exam results. Schools should ultimately be places where we try to improve people and equip them with the skills to be better people. They fail miserably in my opinion. Most teachers do a fantastic job but the educational system is not fit for purpose.

Another culprit is the economic rationalism (or the economic irrationalism as I like to call it) that's been in place since Thatcher and continued with even greater gusto by the Blair/Brown partnership. Their economic policies have destroyed much of the social fabric of the country. So much so that UNICEF ranked the UK bottom of 222 European countries in the quality of childhood in 2007. Another survey last year had similar results.

There is an element of moral panic in all of this but to say it is all a fabrication is also wrong. Racism an anti-social behavior didn't just arrive yesterday. The football hooligans and National Front thugs didn't disappear so is it any wonder we have a lot of ignorant thugs standing in groups in front of shops and on street corners?