Mancunian Matters: Prevent statistics in North West England come with concerns about harms to children and communities

Prevent statistics in North West England show that region leads in the number of cases taken for the Home Office’s de-radicalisation scheme last year, but there are concerns the counter-terrorism programme is undermining relationships between educational institutions and children, and risks targeting marginalised communities.

The region referred 948 individuals last year, with 94 cases – only 10% of referrals – deemed at risk enough to be adopted onto the Prevent programme.

Last year almost 60% of individuals referred in the North West were under 18, with more than 40% of the region’s referrals being made by educational institutions – historically and nationally this number has been around a third, but has always been the sector that made the most referrals.

Despite a consistent number in referrals being made under ‘extreme right wing’ and the largest number of referrals made under ‘vulnerabilities present’, the Home Office still prioritises ‘Islamist’ as the main threat to national security, despite numbers falling significantly in referrals since 2017/18.

Speaking to Mancunian Matters, John Holmwood, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at the University of Nottingham, and advisor for Prevent Watch, shared concerns that the programme encouraged targeting marginalised communities.

Holmwood said: “Most of the things that trigger a referral to Prevent associated with Islam – the things that the training tells you to look for are a change of dress.

“It might start by wearing religious clothes, or taking up a new interest in religion.

“But of course, these are all things that young people do as part of finding themselves in the process of being at school, engaging with friends and developing their sense of self.”

He also highlighted that children with special educational needs and difficulties were being unfairly targeted, with one case of an autistic child being referred to the school by a peer, and then by the school to Prevent, because of off-hand comments made.

Read more in Mancunian Matters.