Prevent- Countering Extremism
The purpose of Prevent is to safeguard vulnerable people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. It does this by engaging with individuals who are vulnerable to radicalisation and protecting those who may be targeted by terrorist recruiters. The Prevent strategy is part of the UK Counter-Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST) and is underpinned by the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
The Act places a duty on public bodies—including local authorities, the police, prisons, probation service providers, schools, colleges and universities—to take action to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and to raise awareness of terrorism-related risks.
Prevent has three main objectives:
• To respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
• To support vulnerable people and prevent them from being drawn into terrorism
• To work with key sectors and institutions to address risks
Prevent focuses on early intervention, before any criminal activity takes place. Its aim is to reduce the likelihood of individuals who support violent extremist ideologies progressing to terrorist activity.
