Radicalisation and Violent Extremism

From 1 July 2015, all schools and childcare providers must have regard to the statutory guidance issued under section 29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015. Paragraphs 57-76 of the guidance are concerned specifically with schools and childcare providers, registered early years childcare providers and registered later years childcare providers are subject to a duty under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, in the exercise of their functions, to have "due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism".

This duty is known as the Prevent duty. It applies to a wide range of public-facing bodies which are listed in schedule 6 of the Act as specified authorities in England and Wales, and Scotland. The specified authorities are those judged to have a role in protecting vulnerable children, young people and adults and/or the national security.

The Prevent strategy, published by the Government in 2011, is part of an overall counter-terrorism strategy called CONTEST. The aim of the Prevent strategy is to reduce the threat to the UK from terrorism by stopping people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

In addition, the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 (the CT and S Act) sections 36 to 41 set out the duty on local authorities and partners to establish and cooperate with a local Channel programme of 'Channel panels' to provide support for people, children and adults, vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism. It is essential that Channel panel members, partners to local panels and other professionals ensure that children, young people and adults are protected from harm.

Channel is about ensuring that vulnerable children and adults of any faith, ethnicity or background receive support before their vulnerabilities are exploited by those that would want them to embrace terrorism, and before they become involved in criminal terrorist related activity.

Radicalisation is defined as the process by which people come to support terrorism and extremism and, in some cases, to then participate in terrorist groups.

"Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas" (HM Government Prevent Strategy 2011).

Since the publication of the Prevent Strategy, there has been an awareness of the specific need to safeguard children, young people and families from violent extremism. There have been attempts to radicalise vulnerable children and young people to develop extreme views including views justifying political, religious, sexist or racist violence, or to steer them into a rigid and narrow ideology that is intolerant of diversity and leaves them vulnerable to future radicalisation.

Keeping children safe from these risks is a safeguarding matter and should be approached in the same way as safeguarding children from other risks. Children should be protected from messages of all violent extremism.

Children and young people can be drawn into violence or they can be exposed to the messages of extremist groups by many means. These can include through the influence of family members or friends and/or direct contact with extremist groups and organisations or, increasingly, through the internet via social media or other websites. This can put a young person at risk of being drawn into criminal activity and has the potential to lead to the child or young person suffering significant harm'.

This may take the form of a "grooming" process where the vulnerabilities of a young person are exploited to form an exclusive friendship which draws the young person away from other influences that might challenge the radical ideology. The risk of radicalisation can develop over time and may relate to a number of factors in the child's life. Identifying the risks require practitioners to exercise their professional judgement and to seek further advice as necessary. The risk may be combined with other vulnerabilities or may be the only risk identified.

Online content in particular social media may pose a specific risk in normalising radical views and promoting content that is shocking and extreme; children can be trusting and may not necessarily appreciate bias, which can lead to being drawn into such groups and to adopt their extremist views.

Case evidence indicates that specific groups such as young Muslim women have been targeted for radicalisation and grooming, which has led to attempts to travel to the Middle East placing them at risk.

With regard to issues that may make a child or young person vulnerable to radicalisation, these can include:

• Identity Crisis - Distance from cultural / religious heritage and uncomfortable with their   place in the society around them;
• Personal Crisis - Family tensions; sense of isolation; adolescence; low self-esteem; disassociating from existing friendship group and becoming involved with a new and different group of friends; searching for answers to questions about identity, faith and belonging;
• Personal Circumstances - Migration, local community tensions; events affecting country or region of origin; alienation from UK values; having a sense of grievance that is triggered by personal experience of racism or discrimination or aspects of Government policy;
• Unmet aspirations - Perceptions of injustice; feeling of failure; rejection of community values;
• Criminality - Experiences of imprisonment; previous involvement with criminal groups.

However those closest to the child or young person may first notice the following changes of behaviour:

• General changes of mood, patterns of behaviour, secrecy;
• Changes of friends and mode of dress;
• Use of inappropriate language;
• Possession of violent extremist literature;
• The expression of extremist views;
• Advocating violent actions and means;
• Association with known extremists;
• Seeking to recruit others to an extremist ideology.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other indicators that the child or young person is at risk of violent extremism and radicalisation.

If staff or carers identify any concerns as a result of observed behaviour or reports of conversations to suggest the child supports terrorism and/or violent extremism, they must report these concerns to the Registered Manager, the Supervising Social Worker or the Out of Hours support. The child's social worker and placing authority of the child involved must be informed of the concern as soon as possible. It will be their responsibility to take the concerns forward through the appropriate channels. However the Agency and foster carer should work with the multi-disciplinary team to safeguard the child or young person.

Consideration should also be given to the need for an emergency response - this will be extremely rare but examples are where there is information that a violent act is imminent or where weapons or other materials may be in the possession of a young person or member of their his or her family. In this situation a 999 call must be made. In addition to contacting the Emergency Services, the placing authority for the child must be advised of the concern immediately.

Referrals should contain as much detail as possible. If the response to the referral is not considered by the registered person to be satisfactory, this should be escalated using the relevant multi-Agency Escalation Protocol.

See also: Safeguarding Children and Young People and Referring Safeguarding Concerns Procedure and Missing Children Procedure.

Online content, in particular social media, may pose a specific risk in normalising radical views and promoting content that is shocking and extreme; children can be trusting and may not necessarily appreciate bias, which can lead to being drawn into such groups and to adopt their extremist views.

Foster carers should be vigilant and also refer to the fostering Agency's Internet, Photographs and Mobile Phones Procedure. They should also be aware of concerning extremist literature that the child or young person may have in their possession.

Prevent Strategy

Prevent Duty Guidance: for England and Wales

Channel Duty Guidance: Protection vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism

Educate Against Hate

Guidance - Prevent Duty Self-assessment Tool: Further Education - self-assessment tool to assist colleges and providers in the further education and skills (FE) sector in England to review their Prevent responsibilities

The Prevent Duty: Safeguarding Learners Vulnerable to Radicalisation