Terrorism

The UK Government has developed a counter-terrorist strategy, Known as contest, its aim is to reduce the risk to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence. The strategy's three objectives are:

• to challenge the ideology that supports terrorism
• to protect vulnerable people
• to support sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation

In this way, the strategy aims to not only catch and prosecute terrorists, but also to prevent people becoming terrorists in the first place.

There are four parts to the contest strategy, these are known as the four P's:

• Pursue
• Prevent
• Protect
• Prepare

As a local authority we have a duty to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism. We do this by working in partnership with other organisations to help identify vulnerable individuals who may be drawn into terrorism and ensure that support is in place.

Understanding Prevent  

Prevent responds to the challenges that can occur as a result of extremism and radicalism, reducing the threat of terrorism from those who pose such views. Therefore, understanding the meaning of those 3 terms is important:

Terrorism

Terrorism is the use or threat of action, both in and outside the UK, designed to influence any government organisation or to intimidate the public. To be considered as terrorism, these acts must be for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

Examples include:

• serious violence against a person or damage to property
• endangering a person's life
• creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public

Extremism

The government defines extremism in the Prevent strategy as the 'vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values of democracy, rule of law, tolerance and individual liberty'. The definition of extremism also includes calls for the death of a member of the armed forces, both in the UK and overseas.

Radicalisation

Radicalisation refers to the process in which a person comes to sympathise with and support terrorist or extremist views. There is no obvious profile of a person that is at risk of radicalisation, and the process itself can be different for each individual. Although it does not necessarily happen overnight, for some radicalisation can be a short process, whereas for others, it can occur gradually over a period of years.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a key element of the Prevent strategy, with an overall aim to safeguard children, young people and adults from the threat faced by those who promote extremist or radicalised views.  

All public sector organisations, including the council, have a duty to prevent people from being drawn towards such views and ensure that support is in place for those who are vulnerable.

Partnership working

By working in partnership, local councils, community organisations and charities can help disrupt radicalising influences and prevent vulnerable individuals being drawn into terrorism.

This partnership working helps to ensure that vulnerable children and adults of any faith, ethnicity or background receive support before their vulnerabilities are exploited by those that would want them to embrace terrorism or they become involved in terrorist related activity.

The following information has been put together in partnership with Cambridgeshire County Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire Constabulary.

Who can become radicalised

Violent extremist groups can become attractive to individuals that are vulnerable or lonely. They can be drawn to these groups by being made to feel like they have found a place with a sense of belonging and adventure, where they feel empowered. For some, it can even feel like they have found a new family to share their lives with. The following factors have been identified as increasing an individual's risk of radicalisation:

• struggling with their sense of identity
• questioning their place in society
• family issues
• experiencing a traumatic event
• experiencing discrimination
• difficulty in interacting socially and lacking empathy
• difficulty in understanding the consequences of their actions
• low self-esteem

There is no single way of spotting radicalisation, you could spot one of the signs, or a combination of signs. What might be most important is responding to changes or behaviours that concern you.

The following behaviours may indicate other underlying issues or challenges, but importantly can be signs that an individual is becoming radicalised:

• ignoring or demonising viewpoints that contradict their own
• expressing themselves in an 'us' versus 'them' manner
• justifying the use of violence or expressing a desire for revenge
• increasingly secretive about who they are talking to
• changing their circle of friends
• losing interest in activities they once enjoyed
• becoming socially withdrawn or spending a lot of time online
• belief in conspiracy theories and distrust of mainstream media

What to do if you suspect someone has become radicalised:

See it and say it

Everyone has a role in Prevent and tackling radicalisation. It is vital that anyone who observes individuals displaying signs of radicalisation acts early and reports any concerns in confidence. You will not be wasting time and you will not be ruining lives, but your reporting might help to save them.  

Emergencies

If someone is in danger and you need immediate support, please call 999.  

If you suspect that someone is involved in terrorism or becoming radicalised in any way you should inform the police:  

Adults (18 and over)

You can pass on concerns by phoning 101 or visiting the Cambridgeshire Constabulary website  

You can also report a concern anonymously via CrimeStoppers or phone 0800 555111.  

Children (under 18)  

If you have a concern that a child or young person is at risk of becoming involved in extremist activity, you can contact Children's Services on 03450 455203.  

What happens next

The police, local authorities and criminal justice agencies work together to support people who are vulnerable to radicalisation. They work with individuals to offer targeted and appropriate voluntary support.  

Channel early intervention programme

One form of support is provided through the Channel early intervention programme. Channel is a voluntary, confidential, early intervention programme that supports people who may be at risk of being drawn into terrorism. Support available as part of Channel includes support provided:  

• at school  
• in the workplace  
• from specialist mentors
• from mental health workers

Taking part in Channel does not go onto someone's criminal record. It means getting the right kind of help for the person who needs support.  

Reporting online content

It is easy to report illegal or harmful information, pictures or videos you find on the internet and you do not need to leave your name and contact details.

You can report the following:

• articles, images, speeches or videos that promote terrorism or encourage violence
• social media content
• websites made by terrorist or extremist organisations
• videos of terrorist attacks

You do not need to provide evidence, however, links to the content, or screenshots, can help with the investigation.

Visit the gov.uk website to access the government's online reporting details.

Advice for venue owners

If you own a venue that you hire out for events, it is important to ensure that you do not inadvertently provide a platform for extremists and that your venue is not able to be used to disseminate extremist views.

To prevent this from taking place, your organisation should take steps to ensure that you have a rigorous booking system in place, and that you carefully monitor how the building is being used.

Tips for building Prevent considerations into venue hire

1. Ensure that any staff or volunteers that are responsible for taking bookings for your premises have an understanding of Prevent and extremism, so that they know what to look for.
2. Ensure that you collect all relevant details from anyone hiring the venue to enable you to undertake appropriate suitability checks.
3. Consider (and where necessary, research) the following:

• What is the topic/reason for the event?
• Has this topic had a regional or national criticism or hostility on previous occasions?
• Does the organiser or any of the speakers have a reputation for causing disruption, which may prompt certain individuals to attend?
• What are the conditions of the event, will it be an open or closed event?
• Are there any specific reasons why your venue has been chosen?

4. Ensure that you have a clear internal process to enable staff to report any suspicions and refer these to the appropriate authorities.

More information on responsible event booking and venue hire can be found on the Cambridgeshire County Council website.

Creating cohesive communities

A cohesive community is one in which people from different ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds can live and work together in an atmosphere of mutual respect and understanding.

Cohesive communities:

• appreciate and value the diversity of people's backgrounds and circumstances
• support similar life opportunities for people of all backgrounds
• build strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds and circumstances

You can help to strengthen community cohesion by working with others, including people from all backgrounds and circumstances, to develop a local vision and values for your area to challenge and change perceptions.

To help you get started, it may help to ask yourself and others the following questions:

• what does it mean to people to live in this area?
• what are the perceived and actual differences within the community?
• what are people's aspirations for the area?
• what types of interaction and messages do you want to promote in your community?

Community cohesion lies at the heart of what makes a safe and strong community. Cohesive communities are better able to tackle common problems, to provide mutual support, work together for a positive future and prevent the spread of extremism.