England’s children’s commissioner says Prevent failing to help young people ‘fixated with violence’
England’s children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, has released a report criticizing the Prevent anti-terror strategy for failing to address children fixated on violence without a clear ideology. The report calls for better integration between anti-terror police and local safeguarding teams.
Why it matters
This addresses critical gaps in national security and child protection policies following high-profile violent incidents.
De Souza’s report recommended that anti-terror police should work more closely with local authority safeguarding teams. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA De Souza’s report recommended that anti-terror police should work more closely with local authority safeguarding teams. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA Prevent strategy England’s children’s commissioner says Prevent failing to help young people ‘fixated with violence’ Report by Rachel de Souza finds 71% of children referred to UK anti-terror programme do not have a clear ideology
Prefer the Guardian on Google The children’s commissioner for England has warned of a group of children “intoxicated by extremism” who need help the UK government’s anti-terror programme cannot provide.
Referrals to Prevent – the programme designed to safeguard vulnerable people from being radicalised or drawn into extremism – involving children have risen in the past decade, from 2,918 in 2016-17 to 4,715 in 2024-25.
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