An evaluation of Section 1 of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012

This document describes an evaluation of the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012, focusing on its effectiveness in curbing offensive behavior and threatening communications, particularly related to sectarianism, at football matches in Scotland. The evaluation, conducted by the University of Stirling, ScotCen Social Research, and the University of Glasgow, utilized online surveys, interviews, focus groups, and secondary data analysis. The findings revealed a mixed reception among fans, with some noting clarity in the Act's intentions and others raising human rights concerns. While there were increased prosecutions for sectarian behavior, issues such as perceived targeting of younger fans and enforcement inconsistencies were identified. The evaluation suggested improvements like expanding the Act's scope, improving stakeholder relationships, and ensuring proportionate policing. Despite some positive outcomes, the Act requires refinement to more effectively address offensive behaviors at football matches. The document also touches on the challenges in measuring the Act's direct impact due to broader crime trends and methodological limitations, and it emphasizes the importance of police-fan relations and diversionary measures for less serious offenses. The Scottish Government published the document in June 2015, and it includes references to related topics such as football, domestic abuse, and criminal behavior in Scotland. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: The Scottish Government (The Scottish Government)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: June 2015

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes