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EDUCATE AGAINST HATE
What is the aim of PREVENT?
The PREVENT duty requires all education providers ‘to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism’. This includes safeguarding learners from extremist ideologies and radicalisation.
The aim of Prevent is to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Prevent also extends to supporting the rehabilitation and disengagement of those already involved in terrorism.
The Prevent duty requires specified authorities such as education, health, local authorities, police and criminal justice agencies (prisons and probation) to help prevent the risk of people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It sits alongside long-established safeguarding duties on professionals to protect people from a range of other harms, such as substance abuse, involvement in gangs, and physical and sexual exploitation. The duty helps to ensure that people who are susceptible to radicalisation are supported as they would be under safeguarding processes.
What does this mean for our young people?
As children grow and become more independent, it is not unusual for them to take risks, explore new things and push boundaries. Teenage years are often a time when young people will be searching for answers to questions about identify, faith and belonging, as well as looking for adventure and excitement. This can mean that they are particularly vulnerable to extremist groups and because they know young people are vulnerable, extremist groups often target them using the internet and social medial to spared their ideology.
Educators are often in a unique position, through interacting with learners on a regular basis, to be able to identify concerning behaviour changes that may indicate they are susceptible to radicalisation.
Notice, Check, Share
Professionals should:
recognise the signs of someone being radicalised into terrorism
share concerns in the correct manner
understand the support available to that person.
Those who work in front-line support roles will often be the first to notice if someone is experiencing difficulties.
Remember to:
- look out for changes in behaviour that cause you concern
- ask yourself whether this person might be susceptible to radicalisation
- keep up-to-date with extremist signs and symbols - your local Prevent lead will have the latest information
Check
It's important to understand why changes are happening before drawing conclusions.
Remember:
- the issues that make a person susceptible to radicalisation are sensitive and need to be handled with duty and care
- try to understand the bigger picture by gaining more context
- check your concern discreetly with a colleague or your line manager to see if they can offer any advice
Everyone is responsible for sharing any information they hold that causes concern about a person with the police.
Remember to:
- work with your Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) or an equivalent, if you have one
- only share information that is relevant to the purpose
- share information early to reduce risk
Ideology – a set of beliefs, principles and objectives to which an individual or group adheres to.
Radicalisation – the process of a person legitimising support for, or use of, terrorist violence and/or extremist ideologies.
Terrorism – the use or threat of serious violence against a person or serious damage to property where that action is designed to influence the government or an international governmental organisation, to intimidate the public, and for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.
Extremism – the holding of extreme political or religious views that oppose the fundamental British values.
