Prevent not helping children fixated with violence, children's commissioner says
The UK's children's commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, reports that the government's Prevent program is failing to address children fixated on violence who lack a clear ideological motive. The report suggests that current safeguarding measures are insufficient for this growing demographic of at-risk youth.
Why it matters
It raises critical questions about the efficacy of national counter-extremism strategies in the face of evolving threats that do not fit traditional radicalization models.
Image source, PA Media By James Gregory Published 35 minutes ago The government's counter-extremism programme is not able to deal with the growing number of children being referred to it who are "fixated on violence without a clear ideology", the children's commissioner has said.
Referrals of children to Prevent have risen over the past decade - from 2,918 in 2016-17 to 4,715 in 2024-25 - and Dame Rachel de Souza said most were being sent back to schools without further action.
Dame Rachel said most children being referred did not identify with traditional forms of extremism and "stronger safeguarding" was needed for this group.
The government said it was reviewing the report and developing further options to "manage those fascinated with extreme violence".
Dame Rachel's report comes just over two years after three girls were killed while attending a dance class in Southport in July 2024.
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