Understanding the Prevent Duty: A Guide for Teachers and Carers

Introduction

There have been 5513 terrorist incidents between 1970 and 2020 in the UK (Global Terrorism Database), and the current terrorism threat level is substantial, meaning a terrorist attack is likely (MI5). Terrorist attacks can have devastating impacts on victims, families, communities and society, and extremism and radicalisation in communities are real threats.

Children and young people are particularly vulnerable to radicalisation, extremist ideologies and being drawn into terrorism, as they are easily influenced and impressionable, especially those with low self-esteem or are being bullied or discriminated against. According to the Prevent Duty guidance, many children and young people make up Channel cases, a voluntary, confidential, early intervention programme. There has also been an increase in learners arrested for terrorism-related offences.

The UK Government introduced Prevent to safeguard people from radicalisation and extremism. The Prevent Duty makes it a legal requirement for local authorities, educational providers, the police, health providers and criminal justice agencies to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

According to statistics from the Home Office, in the year ending 31^st of March 2023, there were:

6,817 referrals to Prevent, an increase of 6.4% compared to the previous year (6,406).
2,684 (39%) education sector referrals. In fact, education referrals have accounted for 33% of all those recorded since 2015/16.
2,203 referrals for individuals aged 15 to 20 (largest proportion).
2,119 referrals for those aged 14 and under (second largest proportion).

As education and children and young people have some of the highest referrals, it is vital that childcare and early years providers, teachers and other carers, e.g. in care homes and hospitals, can spot the signs of radicalisation and understand their responsibilities under the Prevent Duty. This blog post aims to provide a comprehensive guide to understanding the Prevent Duty for teachers and carers.

Understanding the Prevent Duty A Guide for Teachers and Carers

Background on the Prevent Duty

Section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act (CTSA) 2015 established the Prevent Duty to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It is one objective of the UK Government’s overall counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. The other three objectives are:

Pursue – to stop terrorist attacks.
Protect – to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack.
Prepare – to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack.

Prevent aims to:

Tackle the ideological causes of terrorism.
Intervene early to support people susceptible to radicalisation.
Enable individuals who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate.

It is designed to support those susceptible to radicalisation similarly to how they would be supported under safeguarding processes. It does not focus on specific individuals, groups or communities.

There is statutory Prevent Duty Guidance from the Home Office, meaning that duty holders must comply. It was issued under Section 29 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 and came into force on the 31^st of December 2023, when it replaced the 2015 guidance. There is separate guidance for Scotland here, and the Prevent Duty does not apply in Northern Ireland.

The Prevent Duty works alongside safeguarding duties, and specified authorities must also comply with other relevant legislation, such as the Terrorism Act 2006, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Specified authorities have legal obligations under the Prevent Duty. It will apply to the following:

Educational providers/institutions, e.g. nurseries, schools, colleges and universities.
Health providers, e.g. NHS trusts.
Local authorities, e.g. local councils and service providers.
The Police.
Criminal justice agencies, e.g. prisons and probation services.

Specified authorities include people, organisations and institutions listed in Schedule 6 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

These specified authorities must have:

“Due regard to the need to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.”

The duties of specified authorities come under the following sections in the statutory guidance:

Leadership and partnership – develop and maintain appropriate leadership and partnership working, e.g. having a designated leader overseeing the delivery of Prevent and working with local Prevent leads, the police and local authorities.
Capabilities – develop and maintain appropriate capabilities for understanding risk, managing risk and sharing information.
Reducing permissive environments – limiting exposure to radicalising narratives and creating an environment where radicalising ideologies are challenged.
Monitoring and assurance – maintaining appropriate records, e.g. training and referrals, to show compliance with the Prevent Duty.

There is also sector-specific guidance for each specified authority in the statutory guidance that duty holders should read alongside safeguarding guidance.

Understanding Radicalisation and Extremism

The Prevent Duty has a vital role in preventing radicalisation and extremism. The Prevent Statutory Guidance Glossary of terms defines radicalisation as:

“The process of a person legitimising support for, or use of, terrorist violence”.

Radicalisation can lead to supporting terrorist activities or groups by developing extreme views or beliefs. In fact, terrorism begins with radicalisation. It can affect anyone regardless of their background, and the process can take hours, days, months or even years. However, certain push factors can make individuals more vulnerable to becoming radicalised.

According to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, extremism is:

“The promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance, that aims to:

Negate or destroy the fundamental rights and freedoms of others; or
Undermine, overturn or replace the UK’s system of liberal parliamentary democracy and democratic rights; or
Intentionally create a permissive environment for others to achieve the results above.”

It is important to note that extremism is different from terrorism, as not all extremist groups will commit terrorist or violent acts.

Ideology is defined as:

“A set of beliefs or narratives for the purpose of supporting a particular worldview. An extremist ideology is one that is intolerant of generally accepted values of society” (Prevent training).

Various types of ideologies exist, such as Islamist, extreme right-wing, left-wing, anarchist and single-issue ideologies. Extremist ideologies can be appealing to vulnerable individuals as they are often persuaded by various incentives that meet their needs, whether physical, emotional or psychological. These are known as pull factors.

Some examples of push, pull and personal factors (Vergani, et al. 2018) that could increase the risk of radicalisation and extremism include:

Personal

Mental health problems, e.g. depression.
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Trauma, abuse or bullying.
Excessive internet use.
A lack of positive role models.
Issues at home.
Struggling with identity.
Poor understanding of other cultures.
Exposure to extremism.
Feeling insignificant and marginalised.
Being a victim or witness of crime.
Personality traits.
Adverse childhood experiences.

Push

A need for meaning, identity, belonging and purpose.
Feelings of grievance, anger, frustration and injustice.
Feeling lost, insignificant, invisible and confused.
Susceptibility to being influenced or controlled.
‘Them and us’ thinking.
A desire for status, i.e. to dominate and control others.
Inequalities, marginalisation and discrimination.

Pull

A fulfilling social network.
Identification of an enemy or cause of injustice.
Provocative & persuasive propaganda.
A plan of action to correct injustices.
Excitement and adventure.
Material and/or spiritual reward.
Making an impact.

Various circumstances, needs, and factors may contribute to radicalisation, and it is a complex process, but here are some examples:

Social – the risk of radicalisation depends on social influences, such as family, friends, peers and in-person or online communities. They have a significant role in reinforcing or challenging extremist views and beliefs. Some children and young people are radicalised within their family unit.
Economic – poverty, unemployment and socioeconomic disparities can create a breeding ground for extremist ideologies and radicalisation. Individuals may seek like-minded communities if they feel excluded, oppressed or marginalised from society, making them vulnerable to recruiters and groomers. Seeking radical ideologies and solutions can make them feel empowered.
Political – individuals can become radicalised if political instability exists and they believe their political views and beliefs are not adequately represented or addressed. Some may feel aggrieved about the actions or inaction of governments and feel there are injustices.
Religious – an individual’s religious beliefs can lead to religious extremism when they believe their intolerance and violence are justified. Children can be raised in extreme religious environments, or individuals can be indoctrinated or recruited by fundamentalists.
Ideological influences – there can be many types of ideologies, some of which can be extreme, as they advocate intolerance and violence. Exposure to extremist ideological influences, such as nationalistic and religious, can lead to radicalisation.

Extremists can use many methods to identify and target susceptible individuals, such as:

Grooming (taking advantage) face-to-face or online, especially on social media platforms.
Emotional and psychological harm.
Using violent images, writing or videos.
Exploitation, including sexual.
Giving extremist ideological opinions or using hate speech.
Intolerant to differences, e.g. religious, cultural or protected characteristics.

Children and young people who have low self-esteem and are victims of bullying and discrimination are at an increased risk of being radicalised, and extremists often target them (NSPCC), especially online.

ACT Early has further information on the risks of radicalisation here.

Recognising Signs of Radicalisation

Every person is unique, and the signs of radicalisation may differ depending on the individual and situation. Radicalisation feeds off people’s emotions. It can occur offline (i.e. in-person) or online, and behavioural indicators, changes in attitudes or beliefs, and social media activity may raise concerns.

Some of the signs teachers and carers should look out for include (this list is not definitive or exhaustive):

Justifying using violence to remedy societal issues.
Changes in appearance or dress style to fit in with extremist groups.
Isolating themselves from family or friends.
Using certain terrorist organisation’s symbols or wording.
Unwilling to engage with those who they view as being different.
Downloading or accessing extreme material or propaganda online.
An excessive amount of time spent online.
Not wanting or willing to talk about their views and opinions.
Having an angry or obsessive desire for ‘something to be done’ or change.
Increasing anger, frustration and aggression.
Sharing extreme opinions and pictures of weapons on social media.
Being disrespectful and abusive towards others.
Becoming more argumentative when expressing their views.
Having more than one online identity.
Becoming more secretive and refusing to speak about their online activity.
Speaking like they are reading from a script, i.e. using specific phrases and new vocabulary.
Changing friends.

It is important to note that these signs may be for other reasons, so it is vital not to jump to conclusions. However, it is important to raise any concerns and act early. Recognising the signs of radicalisation, early intervention and reporting concerns to the appropriate authorities is of the utmost importance, as terrorism has a devastating impact on victims, families and communities. It prevents the person from becoming radicalised and engaging in extremist activities, thus protecting the individual and others from potential danger and harm.

Roles and Responsibilities of Teachers and Carers

Teachers and carers have a role in fulfilling the Prevent Duty and safeguarding students and individuals from the risk of radicalisation. Some of their responsibilities include:

Understand the Prevent Duty – to be aware of their obligations and what they must do to comply with the law, similar to safeguarding requirements. They should undertake the required training to gain the necessary knowledge to fulfil their responsibilities.

Integrate the Prevent Duty into safeguarding policies – to embed it into overall safeguarding policies. Teachers and carers must follow these policies and any associated procedures and protocols. In fact, it sits alongside their safeguarding duties.

Assess the risks – to assess the likelihood and consequ