Our Expert Views

Our Expert Views

Rich, readable blogs from our experts who work among the community, in academia and research on new developments in Prevent and their real impact on people.

People's Review of Prevent

The People's Review of Prevent

The People’s Review of Prevent is an alternative review to the Government Shawcross Review.

This review provides a voice to the people most impacted by the Prevent Duty.

Prevent is described as ‘safeguarding’ children from harms. However, under Prevent, safeguarding is focused on protecting the wider public from children believed to be ‘risky’, rather than protecting children from harms.

Throughout our report we present case studies that show how real these harms can be and the distress they cause to children and their families and carers.

How the Prevent strategy will target a child, but ignore the cause

Almost two years ago - a long time in the history of the Prevent strategy - I spoke to a mother who confided in me that her son was so distraught by a Prevent referral made by his school that he had told her he no longer wished to live...

Justice and the Prevent duty: a misnomer and near-impossibility

The notion of justice and the Prevent duty is non-existent and almost impossible for those it wrongfully targets and harms...

How Prevent harmfully alters crucial trust dynamics in public services

The coupling of public services with Prevent alters the crucial and delicate trust dynamics essential to education and health...

Out of sight out of mind? The harms of unrecorded Prevent referrals

When it comes to Prevent referrals, these three specific and unexceptional case examples illustrate the undocumented impact of Prevent...

Counter extremism against civil society is having an unintended outcome

When global counter extremism means you can be an ‘extremist’ for political activity in another country, having to confront Prevent while fleeing for safety in the UK will ratchet up its injustice. But an unintended outcome persists...

Prevent and immigration: Shared concerns of Islamophobia and racism

Shawcross's recommendation on Prevent and immigration urges that the policy be extended into the immigration system and into job centres. But increasing their hostility is not the answer to a safe UK...

UN concerns about children’s well-being urge the withdrawal of Prevent

A recent UN report into children’s well-being in the UK should urge the withdrawal of Prevent counter-extremism from health and education...

UN concerns on children underline the abusive nature of Prevent 

Prevent Watch was among at least 3 UK based NGOs that submitted concerns about children’s rights which have featured in last month’s publication of a report by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child...

What ‘improved’ Prevent training really means

Shawcross sees a need for more 'rigorous' Prevent training, while it already violates various civil liberties including the freedom of religion, association and legal dissent...

University reactions to encampments for Palestine can show how Prevent undermines education

Last week, I visited one of the encampments for Palestine happening on university campuses to speak about Prevent and how it is being weaponised to suppress student activism. We sat in the sunshine under the trees, a collection of diverse...

Challenging Prevent injustice – from the bathroom window!

I recently reconnected with a mother I had supported a few years ago. She shared that she had never forgotten the help Prevent Watch provided her. What she didn’t realise is that the feeling was mutual; I hadn’t forgotten her either. In...