Guidance

Understanding and identifying radicalisation risk in your education setting

Updated 7 September 2023

Applies to England

To safeguard learners who are susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism, designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) will need to take a risk-based approach.

Each setting should perform a risk assessment which assesses how their learners or staff may be at risk of being radicalised into terrorism, including online. Where specific risks are identified, settings should develop an action plan to set out the steps they will take to mitigate this risk. This should be proportionate and based on an understanding of the threat and risk in the local area, the phase of education and the size and type of setting. This risk will vary greatly and can change quickly, but nowhere is risk free.

To understand the risks or threats in your area, contact your:

• Prevent coordinator or Prevent education officer in your local authority (if applicable)
• DfE regional Prevent coordinator
• local policing team
• local authority or safeguarding children partnership
• local authority or police Prevent partners (for access to your counter-terrorism local profile)

There are non-statutory risk assessment templates and guidance available to assist schools and FE providers to complete their risk assessments.

The threat of terrorism

The Terrorism Act 2006 defines ‘terrorism’ as an action or threat designed to influence the government or intimidate the public. Its purpose is to advance a political, religious or ideological cause.

In summary, terrorism is an action that:

• endangers or causes serious violence to a person or people
• causes serious damage to property, or seriously interferes with or disrupts an electronic system
• is designed to influence the government or to intimidate the public

The Prevent duty provides a framework for specified authorities to respond to the changing nature of threat in the UK. The government’s counter-terrorism (CONTEST) strategy 2023 says “the terrorist threat in the UK today is dominated by individuals or small groups acting outside of organised terrorist networks”. The primary domestic threat to the UK comes from Islamist terrorism. The remainder of the UK domestic terrorist threat is driven almost exclusively by Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism.

Some groups and organisations are proscribed. This means they’re banned under counter-terrorism measures introduced under the Terrorism Act 2000 (for example, Daesh and National Action).

The Home Office has published a list of proscribed terrorist groups or organisations.

The extremism threat

Settings should not only be alert to violent extremism but also non-violent extremism, including certain divisive or intolerant narratives which can reasonably be linked to terrorism.

Some groups and organisations that promote extremist ideologies are not proscribed terrorist groups or organisations.

These groups support divisive or hateful narratives towards others but may not promote extreme violence. For example, they may hold views that support the distrust or hatred of people with different faiths or undermine the principles of democracy.

We have published resources to help explain:

• Islamist extremism
• right-wing extremism
• left-wing, anarchist and single-issue extremism

Some learners may appear to be at risk or susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism without showing a clear ideology. Individuals increasingly adopt a mix of ideas from different ideologies into their grievance narratives.

This could include individuals who:

• show an interest in multiple extremist ideologies at the same time
• switch from one ideology to another over time
• target a ‘perceived other’ of some kind (perhaps based on gender or another protected characteristic), but do not otherwise identify with one particular terrorist ideology or cause - for example, involuntary celibates (incels) who direct their anger mainly at women
• are obsessed with massacre, or extreme or mass violence, without specifically targeting a particular group - for example, high school shootings
• show an interest in conspiracy theories which can act as gateway to radicalised thinking, common themes include:
  • religious or ethnic superiority
  • antisemitism
  • misogyny
  • anti-establishment and anti-LGBT grievances
• may be susceptible to being drawn into terrorism out of a sense of duty, or a desire for belonging, rather than out of any strongly held beliefs

Online radicalisation

Learners are at risk of accessing inappropriate and harmful extremist content online. There is a rapid proliferation of terrorist content online and the internet has become the preferred avenue for those searching for terrorist propaganda. This could include downloading or sharing terrorist material, which could be a criminal offence. The most recent data published shows the continued high numbers of under 18’s being arrested for terrorism offences. The latest data indicates that 14% of those arrested year ending 31st March 2023 were 17 and under.

The internet and social media make spreading divisive and hateful narratives to millions of people easy. The barriers that existed with in-person terrorist group activity in the past have been removed to be replaced with an online environment which is built for ease of access.

Extremist and terrorist groups and organisations use social media (for example, apps, forums, blogs, chat rooms) to identify and target susceptible individuals.

You do not need to be an online expert to understand when a learner is at risk of harm. You should deal with harmful online behaviour in the same way as offline activity.

Concerns that a learner is being radicalised online

Any learner who uses the internet can be at risk of online abuse.

Education settings need to be aware of the risks and talk to learners about staying safe online.

If you’re concerned that a learner is susceptible to radicalisation online, you should follow your normal safeguarding procedures.

Radicalisation is like grooming. Whether this happens online or offline, you should treat it in the same way.

How learners become susceptible to radicalisation

There’s no single way of identifying whether a learner is likely to be susceptible to radicalisation into terrorism.

The process of radicalisation is different for every individual. It can take place over a long period, or it can be very quick.

Learners who are vulnerable to grooming for sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation or county lines, may also be vulnerable to radicalisation. Factors could include things like being a victim or witness of crime, abuse or bullying, or having personal or emotional difficulties.

Adverse childhood experiences, combined with specific influences from family and peers or online connections, may make someone more susceptible to radicalisation.

Extremist influences could include, but are not limited to:

• family members having direct contact or involvement with extremist or terrorist groups
• staff members of an education or community setting promoting an extremist ideology
• peers promoting an extremist ideology or sharing extremist material
• access or exposure to online extremist material via social media or the internet - for example, propaganda including pictures, videos, blogs and fake news
• exposure to extremist, terrorist or other violent activity in overseas settings
• access or exposure to extremist leaflets, magazines or stickering
• exposure to extremist groups hosting marches, protests or stalls

Risk factors

Push and pull factors can make a learner at risk of extremism or radicalisation. Often there are several risk factors present that, seen together, can cause concern.

Push factors

Push factors may include a learner feeling:

• isolated
• they do not belong
• they have no purpose
• low self-esteem
• their aspirations are unmet
• anger or frustration
• a sense of injustice
• confused about life or the world
• real or perceived personal grievances

Pull factors

Pull factors could include an extremist or terrorist group, organisation or individual:

• offering a sense of community and a support network
• promising fulfilment or excitement
• making the learner feel special and part of a wider mission
• offering a very narrow, manipulated version of an identity that often supports stereotypical gender norms
• offering inaccurate answers or falsehoods to grievances
• encouraging conspiracy theories
• promoting an ‘us vs. them’ mentality
• blaming specific communities for grievances
• encouraging the use of hatred and violent actions to get justice
• encouraging ideas of supremacy