We are committed to working together with our partners, to create a fantastic learning experience, and ensure the highest levels of apprentice safety and wellbeing. This involves ensuring all our apprentices are aware of Prevent and safeguarding issues around extremism and radicalisation. Here’s a quick re-cap of the main issues and who to contact should you have any concerns.
Prevent is about safeguarding people and communities from the threat of terrorism. Prevent is 1 of the 4 elements of CONTEST, the Government’s counter-terrorism strategy. It aims to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
Terrorism is an action or threat designed to influence the government or intimidate the public. Its purpose is to advance a political, religious or ideological cause. The current UK definition of terrorism is given in the Terrorism Act 2006 – read more here.
“Extremism is the vocal or active opposition to our fundamental values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and respect and tolerance for different faiths and beliefs. We also regard calls for the death of members of our armed forces as extremist.”
Not all extremist groups, religious or political, will necessarily commit terrorist or violent acts. However, some groups do pose threats, both online and offline.
Extremists believe in things which are far from the norm and refuse to listen to other’s views. They often want to make things happen using criminal acts and violence, or by encouraging hatred and divisions.
Radicalisation is the process by which extremists influence an individual, or a group, to adopt extreme political, social or religious ideals and aspirations which reject or undermine the status quo and / or ideas and expressions of freedom of choice.
Radicalisation leads to people believing in extreme views and using crime and violence is the correct way to support a cause.
What is an extremist?
An extremist is not characterised by the cause they support, but the values they reject.
For example: A person may feel strongly about a cause and argue or protest, but if they respect that other people have different beliefs and live by the laws created by our democratic system, they are not an extremist. An extremist doesn’t care about democracy and is prepared to break the laws and harm people to support their ideological aims.
Religious extremists believe their religious beliefs justify their actions; however, these beliefs are very different from what most people of their faith believe.
Political extremists don’t agree with the government and are not prepared to use democratic methods to make their voice heard. Instead they use violence, threats and criminal acts to achieve their aims.
Where are people radicalised?
Social media, the news and websites are all places where young people can be exposed to information about radical groups and terrorism. These channels are used to promote and engage extremist ideologies and often this promotion glorifies violence, attracting and influencing many people including children and in the extreme cases, radicalising them.
How do extremists target people?
Extremist groups tap into young people’s insecurities, often claiming to offer answers and promise a sense of identity that vulnerable young people often seek. These feelings of insecurity can become more heightened when a child is feeling:
- Marginalised from society
- Trapped between two cultures
- Excluded from the mainstream.
If you are concerned about any of the issues you’ve read here, please speak to your apprenticeship tutor, or contact rove’s designated safeguarding office Jacky Wilson on 0191 660 0355 or email firstname.lastname@example.org.