What is Prevent
Prevent is part of the Government's Counter-Terrorism Strategy (CONTEST)
The CONTEST Strategy has four parts:
- Prevent: to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism
- Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks
- Protect: to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack
- Prepare: to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack.
Prevent works in a similar way to programmes designed to safeguard people from gangs, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse. In practice, it provides an enhanced response to tackle the causes of radicalisation, in communities and online; continued effective support to those who are vulnerable to radicalisation; and disengagement from terrorist activities by those already engaged in or supporters of terrorism.
The focus of prevent in North Tyneside is: To keep children and adults safe from being drawn into terrorism.
Prevent is supported by three objectives:
- Responding to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it (ideology);
- Preventing people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support (individuals); and
- Working with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation which we need to address (institutions).
What is extremism?
Extremism is vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs. We also include in our definition of extremism calls for the death of members of our armed forces, whether in this country or overseas.(2015 Counter Extremism Strategy).
What is radicalisation?
Radicalisation refers to the process by which a person comes to support terrorism and extremist ideologies associated with terror groups (Prevent Duty Guidance, England and Wales - 1st April 2021 )
What is terrorism?
Terrorism is the use of violence or threat of violence in order to affect a political, religious, or ideological change.