Keeping Our Community Safe While Protecting Freedom of Expression
Universities are places where people are encouraged to:
- Think critically.
- Explore ideas.
- Debate challenging topics.
- Question assumptions.
- Engage with different perspectives.
Freedom of thought, freedom of expression and academic freedom are fundamental principles within higher education.
At the same time, universities also have responsibilities to help protect people from harm, including the risk of being drawn into terrorism or violent extremism.
The Prevent Duty forms part of these responsibilities.
What Is Prevent?
Prevent is one of the four strands of the UK Government's counter-terrorism strategy, known as CONTEST.
The four strands are:
- Prevent.
- Pursue.
- Protect.
- Prepare.
Prevent focuses on:
Stopping people from becoming involved in terrorism or supporting extremist violence.
The aim is to identify concerns early and provide support before risks escalate.
Prevent is therefore a safeguarding and early intervention duty rather than a criminal justice process.
What Are Universities Required To Do?
Universities have legal responsibilities under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015.
This legislation requires higher education providers to:
Have due regard to the need to prevent people from being drawn into terrorism.
This responsibility is commonly known as the Prevent Duty.
Universities must have arrangements in place to:
- Identify concerns.
- Assess risks.
- Provide staff training.
- Establish reporting pathways.
- Work with relevant partners.
- Support vulnerable individuals where appropriate.
What Is The Purpose Of Prevent?
The purpose of Prevent is to:
✓ Protect vulnerable individuals.
✓ Identify risks early.
✓ Provide support where appropriate.
✓ Reduce the risk of radicalisation.
✓ Help maintain safe and inclusive communities.
Prevent is not intended to criminalise people for holding different views or expressing lawful opinions.
What Is Radicalisation?
Radicalisation is the process through which a person comes to support extremist ideologies, terrorism or acts of violence.
Radicalisation is often a gradual process.
There is no single pathway and no single profile of a person who may become vulnerable.
Factors that may increase vulnerability can include:
- Social isolation.
- Personal grievances.
- Identity issues.
- Experiences of discrimination.
- Mental health difficulties.
- Exposure to extremist narratives.
- Significant life events.
- Online influences.
Having these experiences does not mean someone will become radicalised.
However, they may increase vulnerability in some circumstances.
What Is Extremism?
The Government defines extremism as:
The promotion or advancement of an ideology based on violence, hatred or intolerance that aims to undermine the rights and freedoms of others or undermine democratic society.
Extremism can take many forms and is not limited to any one:
- Religion.
- Political ideology.
- Belief system.
- Cultural background.
- Community.
Universities must remain alert to all forms of extremist influence.
Is Prevent About Religion?
No.
One of the most common misconceptions is that Prevent focuses on a particular religion or community.
It does not.
Prevent applies to concerns relating to all forms of terrorism and violent extremism, including:
- Religious extremism.
- Extreme right-wing terrorism.
- Mixed, unstable or unclear ideologies.
- Other forms of terrorist ideology.
The duty applies equally regardless of background, faith, ethnicity or nationality.
Freedom of Speech and Academic Freedom
Universities have important responsibilities to protect:
- Freedom of speech.
- Academic freedom.
- Open debate.
- Lawful expression of views.
Holding strong opinions, engaging in political debate or expressing controversial views does not in itself indicate radicalisation.
Universities are expected to balance:
- Freedom of expression.
- Academic freedom.
- Safety.
- Legal responsibilities.
The Prevent Duty does not prohibit legitimate debate or discussion.
Prevent Is Not About Spying On Students
Another common misconception is that Prevent requires staff or students to monitor people's political views.
This is not the case.
Prevent is concerned with safeguarding concerns where there may be indicators that someone is becoming vulnerable to extremist influence or being drawn towards terrorism.
The focus is on behaviour, vulnerability and risk rather than lawful beliefs or opinions.
What Might Raise Concern?
There is no single indicator of radicalisation.
However, concerns may arise where there are significant changes in behaviour combined with other factors.
Examples may include:
- Increasing fixation on extremist material.
- Support for terrorist violence.
- Justification of terrorism.
- Attempts to recruit others.
- Significant behavioural changes linked to extremist ideologies.
- Accessing or sharing extremist content.
- Expressions of intent to engage in violence.
Concerns should always be considered carefully and in context.
What Should Staff Or Students Do If They Are Concerned?
If you are worried that someone may be vulnerable to radicalisation:
✓ Do not investigate the matter yourself.
✓ Do not challenge the individual in a confrontational way.
✓ Record relevant information.
✓ Raise the concern through the University's safeguarding arrangements.
Concerns should be assessed by appropriately trained staff.
What Happens After A Prevent Concern Is Raised?
Where a Prevent concern is reported, the University will normally:
- Review the information provided.
- Assess risk and vulnerability.
- Consider whether further information is required.
- Determine whether Prevent thresholds may be met.
- Consider support options.
- Seek specialist advice where appropriate.
Many concerns do not progress beyond an initial assessment.
The focus is on understanding risk and identifying appropriate support.
What Is Channel?
Channel is a voluntary multi-agency support programme that forms part of the Prevent framework.
Channel is designed to support individuals who may be vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.
It is:
- Supportive.
- Preventative.
- Multi-agency.
- Voluntary.
Channel is not a criminal sanction.
Its purpose is to provide support before risks escalate.
Prevent and Safeguarding
Prevent concerns are often managed using safeguarding principles.
Both Prevent and safeguarding focus on:
- Early intervention.
- Risk assessment.
- Vulnerability.
- Support.
- Prevention.
Not every safeguarding concern is a Prevent concern, and not every Prevent concern involves terrorism-related risk.
However, both seek to protect individuals from harm.
Key Message
The Prevent Duty requires universities to help protect people from the risk of being drawn into terrorism or violent extremism.
Prevent is a safeguarding and early intervention responsibility that exists alongside the University's commitments to freedom of speech, academic freedom and open debate.
The aim is not to police lawful beliefs or opinions, but to identify concerns early, assess risk appropriately and provide support where needed to help keep individuals and communities safe.