Prevent myths

If you are concerned about any issue related to Prevent, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and discuss it with our Prevent team. We are happy to chat and we understand that issues are not always clear cut and easy to explain. Email [email protected].

Myth 1: If I refer someone to Prevent, it is like I am ‘dobbing them in’ to the Police

Prevent is a safeguarding mechanism. If I refer someone to Prevent, I am looking out for them and trying to keep them safe. I am not ‘dobbing them in.’ A Prevent referral is not a police record, it is a referral to help someone to get the support they need so they are not radicalised or drawn towards any involvement in extremism or terrorism. I am trying to keep them safe by my referral. If they qualify, they could get specific help and support to reduce the risks they are under.

Myth 2: If you are in the Prevent space then you have a criminal record

Prevent is not in the criminal space and if you are referred to Prevent, you do not get a criminal record because of this. You are on Prevent systems, just like records are kept in any safeguarding area, but these are not police criminal systems.

Myth 3: You must engage with Prevent if you are referred

If you do not want to work with Prevent then you are not forced to. No one can make you get involved if you do not want to but you could get specialist help and support to address some of your issues and most people referred find it very helpful. Young people and those who are in Care, have decisions made on their behalf by parents and those who are legally responsible for them.

Myth 4: Prevent only targets Muslims

Prevent is there to give help and support to those who need it, whoever they are. The work we deliver is delivered to all sectors mentioned in the Prevent Duty and is not targeted specifically at Muslims. We may offer training to faith-based institutions as part of our package, but it is not specifically targeted at one faith.

Myth 5: Prevent assumes guilt

If you are working with Prevent, or if you have been referred to Prevent, or contacted by Prevent then you have committed no crime by this association with Prevent. By the same token, if you have committed no crime then you cannot be guilty of that crime. We simply want to give you help and support to address some possible vulnerabilities you may have. Addressing these can make you less vulnerable and is only there to help you and safeguard you.

Myth 6: I am not allowed to criticise Government policy, or I will be referred to Prevent

We live in a democratic society and Government criticism is part of our democratic rights. Criticising Government policy is not grounds for Prevent referrals and if that is all you are doing then it would not constitute a Prevent referral. It would only be a concern if you were exhibiting extreme intolerance coupled with calls for actions, supporting terrorist groups, glorifying acts of terror or dehumanising groups of people.

Myth 7: I am not allowed Freedom of Speech and if I use it, I could be referred to Prevent

Freedom of speech is part of our democratic right in a democratic society. It does not mean we can say what we like about who we like, how we like and when we like, it has certain conditions in law. Freedom of speech is the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, by any means. Governments have an obligation to prohibit hate speech and incitement. These are dangerous. Restrictions can also be justified if they protect specific public interest or the rights and reputations of others. These principles are enshrined in law and if people break these laws, then a Prevent referral may be offered.

Myth 8: If you are in the Prevent space, then a trawl of my social media is standard. You aren’t ‘innocent until proven guilty’

If you are in the Prevent space, then CT policing need to see if you would benefit from being offered specific help and support. They need to understand the potential risk so they can create a package of support and help. This involves understanding the potential risk to that person and they will liaise with a variety of people to understand this in as much detail as possible. Staff do not look at social media without permission as part of this. Schools may have social media policies that parents agree to, that mean phones can be confiscated.

Myth 9: Prevent is unaccountable because it is in the noncriminal space

Prevent is accountable in a local capacity via the LA Overview and Scrutiny Committee. On a national basis, one of the new implementations from the Prevent Independent Review is that via the Standards and Compliance Unit, the Public can make a complaint about how the Prevent duty has been applied, including any problems with Prevent training. This can be accessed on the Government Prevent internet page.

Myth 10: Prevent targets the child but ignores the cause of the issue

Prevent does not just work with children but whoever it works with, it is a safeguarding issue. Safeguarding professionals working with the individual, take time and effort to understand what the real issues are behind the developing risk. The point of Prevent is to address these issues and provide help and support to address them.

Myth 11: Prevent workers hassle young people who are referred at school

Prevent workers only come in to school at the school’s invitation and only work with young people if the parents agree to this. They may make contact with the young person, but only with the agreement of those who are the care givers to that young person. They are working in a safeguarding capacity and anything they do is agreed beforehand with the referred person/ their family, in order to safeguard them.

Myth 12: Schools have to report anything said regarding extremism or terrorism no matter what, due to a school’s Prevent Duty

To comply with the Prevent Duty, schools, colleges and further education independent training providers must show evidence of productive co-operation, in particular with local Prevent staff, the police and local authorities and co-ordination through existing multi-agency forums. They do not have to report everything that young people may say, and they must use their discretion as safeguarding professionals, to decide what could be deemed as needing Prevent related advice and support.

Myth 13: Being referred to Prevent affects job prospects

Working in the Prevent related space does not affect job prospects. Prevent do not share details with places of work and the only way that this may be disclosed is if someone worked in a safeguarding space and their work with Prevent would have to be disclosed as part of safeguarding policy. This would be the same in other areas where safeguarding could be compromised. If someone is exhibiting behaviour that is necessitating a Prevent referral, such as behaviours singling out particular groups or supporting banned organisations, this is far more likely to affect job prospects.

Myth 14: If you are working with Prevent, your name gets put on a watch list and it is hard to take off

Anyone who has a safeguarding issue of any kind has details taken by whoever is managing the issue. This is good practise so that things are logged and do not have to be repeated constantly. There is no ‘watch list’ kept of people who work with Prevent and there is nothing that is shared with different organisations to highlight that they are or ever have been working with Prevent. Records are kept, just like records are kept in any organisation receiving help and support but this is not a ‘watch list.’ People have not committed a crime by their association with Prevent and there is no need to ‘watch’ them. This is simply not true.

Myth 15: Prevent discriminates against those who have mental health concerns or those who are neurodiverse

Those who are seeking to radicalise will look at those who have vulnerabilities and see them as easier to manipulate. Those who suffer with their mental health or are neurodiverse, are vulnerable in a lot of ways, particularly in the online space where it is easier to be radicalised. Prevent addresses this in the training and support that we offer. We offer help and support to areas where we have evidence that the risk is greater, this includes those who have mental health concerns or are neurodiverse. We do not discriminate against them, rather we identify that they may be more at risk and provide help and support where accepted, to address this risk.

Myth 16: If I protest the war in Gaza then I will be referred to Prevent

Everyone has a democratic right to peaceful protest. If you attend a peaceful event to protest any issue, this is not seen as a problem. However, if the protest is not peaceful, if damage is caused or other crimes are committed, then the police will take action. The reasons why this action was taken will influence who becomes involved. If there was an ideological motivation, then the person could be referred to Prevent. If there is no clear ideology, Prevent will not become involved.

Myth 17: Social Services will be involved if a child is referred to Prevent

As with all incidents involving safeguarding, they need to be assessed on a case-by-case basis. When someone is referred to Prevent and an assessment has been undertaken, a multi-agency team will meet to discuss each case individually. This team includes representatives from children’s and adult’s social care teams, who offer tailored advice and guidance. In some cases, where a person is at risk of harm, it may be appropriate to refer to social services. But, this is not a blanket response when a referral is received.

Myth 18: Children who display far right tendencies don’t get the same focus as Muslim children

In short, they do. All referrals are treated the same, regardless of any protected characteristic. The multiagency panel is a diverse group of people, with differing specialities and areas of expertise. They treat every individual on a case-by-case basis. Support is available for everyone, it is not cherry picked based on the person’s characteristics. Historically, there may have been more referrals for Muslims, but Prevent are seeing a significant growth in referrals for extreme right-wing tendencies.

Myth 19: Prevent is surveillance, it does not support

Every professional who attends the multi-agency panel has one aim, to support the person who has been referred. There are representatives from the local police, health, social services, education, Bradford Hate Crime Alliance and others. These agencies do not have the power or authority to request surveillance. If the Counter Terrorism Police are concerned to a level where surveillance is needed, this not a Prevent case. Prevent operates in a non-criminal space only.

Myth 20: A child who has far right tendencies is seen as having mental health issues, whilst a Muslim child is automatically a potential terrorist

This is not the opinion of the panel. We understand that mental health issues can affect everyone and that they may have caused the person to be more susceptible to radicalisation. We do not label anyone as terrorists. A terrorist is someone who unlawfully uses violence in pursuit of their political aims. Prevent only operates in the non-criminal space. If someone is deemed a terrorist, they would not be referred to us. We work to support the individual, regardless of their ideology.

Myth 21: Prevent doesn’t consider socio – economic reasons why children could be in danger of being radicalised

We consider every reason that a person has been referred. This enables us to offer tailored support to that person. We understand that vulnerabilities such as mental health, unemployment, poverty, Special Educational Needs & Disabilities and homelessness can all lead to a person being susceptible to radicalisation. We work with the individual to understand their circumstances, allowing us to offer a targeted plan for support.