Prevent

 

PREVENT is the safeguarding of people and communities; to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

 

PREVENT is taken from the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy CONTEST.

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CONTEST is split into four areas:

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1. Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks.

2. Prevent: to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.

3. Protect: to strengthen our protection against terrorist attack.

4. Prepare: to lessen the impact of a terrorist attack.

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“The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.” (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/97994/contest-summary.pdf)

 

We can support CONTEST by following the PREVENT strategy:

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1.    We respond to the challenge terrorism and the threat we face from the people who promote it.

2.    We help prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure they receive appropriate advice and support.

3.    We address risks of radicalisation.

 

Radicalisation is the path a person takes which ends in them supporting terrorism and forms of extremism leading to terrorism. It can happen quickly or over a long period of time, it depends on the person involved and the situation. Radicalisation can happen to anyone, any age, any faith, ethnicity or background…

 

Extremism is when an individual or group take an extreme view, especially in political matters. They take their opinions and or beliefs to the extreme.

 

People who are Vulnerable are those who have experienced:

 

•       Pressure or rejection from their peers, faith or social group.

•       Feelings of grievance and injustice.

•       Faith or religious hate crimes.

•       A desire for excitement and adventure.

•       Conflict with their family.

•       A desire for political or moral change.

•       Failure / an underachievement.

•       A desire for status.

•       Poverty or social exclusion.

•       Mental health issues.

•       A serious of traumatic events personally, nationally or globally.

•       Feelings of being under threat.

•       Literature with extremist views.

•       Pressure from others linked to extremism.

 

Someone being radicalised could display some or all of these signs:

 

•       Use of discriminatory language.

•       Changed and unusual routines.

•       Withdrawn.

•       New found arrogance.

•       Questioning their faith or identity.

•       New friendships.

•       Promoting extremist views and content.

•       Displaying feelings of being isolated.

•       Altering their appearance.

•       Fixated on a subject.

•       Being secretive about their online viewing.

•       Having an us and them mentality.

•       Increasingly argumentative or domineering in their views and opinions, quick to condemn those who disagree.

 

Remember radicalisation does not happen overnight, it is a gradual process which means we are still able to intervene and steer vulnerable people away from being drawn in.

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For more information on PREVENT and related issues you can go to: http://www.ltai.info/what-is-prevent/

 

If you have questions or concerns on any of the above subjects please speak to your Assessor, your Assessor will pass any serious concerns onto our Lead Safeguarding Representative Aaron Biggam.