Prevent Duty in Schools (Part 1)

Safeguarding children in school goes beyond just protecting them from physical harm. It is also about safeguarding them from ideological threats and ensuring their emotional, mental, and social well-being. The Prevent Duty plays an important role in protecting young people from radicalisation and extremism.

If you are a school leader, safeguarding professional, or educator, you are likely aware of Prevent Duty’s importance in safeguarding your students. However, how can you effectively implement it in your school? This blog post aims to break down what Prevent Duty is and why it is important.

What is Prevent Duty?

Prevent Duty is part of the UK government’s broader counter-terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST. It places a duty on all public sector bodies, including schools, to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. This duty applies to both children and adults and covers all forms of extremism, from far-right ideologies to religiously-motivated extremism.

The primary goal of Prevent Duty is to identify and intervene early when a person may be at risk of radicalisation, whether that is through social media, personal relationships, or exposure to extremist ideas. Schools, as safe spaces for children, have a responsibility in spotting early signs of radicalisation and taking action before it is too late.

The Importance of Prevent Duty

Prevent Duty is beneficial to the safety of our young people, who may be vulnerable to being influenced by harmful ideologies. Research has shown that radicalisation often begins at a young age, and the internet and social media are frequently used as tools to recruit and manipulate vulnerable individuals. The importance of the Prevent duty includes:

• Identifying early signs of radicalisation. This means spotting changes in behaviour or interests that might indicate a child is at risk.
• Providing support and intervention. Prevent Duty offers the right guidance and resources to students showing signs of vulnerability.
• Helpful in creating a safe school environment. The Prevent Duty ensures students feel safe to express themselves and seek help when they need it.
• Promoting respect and tolerance by encouraging open discussions about different ideologies and helping students understand diverse perspectives.

In this post, we have introduced the concept of Prevent Duty and its importance in protecting young people from radicalisation. In our next post, we will explain how you can implement Prevent Duty in your school, including actionable strategies for training staff, developing policies, and collaborating with external partners. Stay tuned for Part 2 where we discuss how to embed Prevent Duty into your school’s safeguarding strategy.