Research in Practice Knowledge Exchange

Building Young People’s Resilience to Extremism

Nicola Sugden

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Learning objectives: you will have the opportunity to Network and share experiences and knowledge. Build on the skills you already have. Explore Prevent and Safeguarding policy. Identify factors that increase vulnerabilities. Identify factors that increase resilience. Explore case studies and good practice.

Key concepts

Extremism(s)

“vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and beliefs”.Tackling Extremism in the UK. Home Office. Dec 2013

Resilience

‘Positive adaptation to adversity despite serious threats to adaptation or development’.Anne Masten, University of Minnesota.

Hooke’s law

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Resilience

 

The kinds of things we need to make happen (e.g. parenting strategies) to help children manage life when it’s tough. Plus ways of thinking and acting that we need ourselves if we want to make things better for children.’

(Aumann & Hart, 2009, p. 11)www.boingboing.org.uk

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Radical / Radicalisation

Radical Radicalisation Reciprocal radicalisation

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Key structures and policies

3 Strands of PREVENT

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Challenging the ideology that supports

terrorism

Protecting vulnerable

people

Supporting sectors and institutions where there are risks of

radicalisation

CHANNEL - Prevent structures

Use existing collaboration ( Local Safeguarding Boards) to: identify individuals at risk of being drawn into

violent extremism; assess the nature and extent of that risk; develop the most appropriate support for the

individuals concerned.

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Safeguarding in cases of extremism Variations in practice between authorities First step when concern arises? Some LAs have

specific policies, others don’t. SPOC Channel co-ordinators Similarities with practice around sexual

exploitation and other safeguarding issues

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Vulnerability factors

Weak evidence

90% referrals to CHANNEL are male – BUT…..

Majority of those referred to CHANNEL aged 13-25

42% offences committed by people in employment or education

House of Commons Enquiry 2012

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Vulnerability to radicalisation

Exact ingredients and recipe unknown but some agreement on:

Grievance, Perception of grievance, Lack of trust in parliament, Ideology, Theology – recent converts particularly, Mental health problems.

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Indicators of vulnerability

Greater Manchester Safeguarding Partnership Identity Crisis - uncomfortable with society, disconnected

from heritage . Personal Crisis - Family tensions; isolation; low self-

esteem; disassociating from friendship group; searching for answers about identity, faith and belonging.

Personal Circumstances - local community tensions; events in locality or region of origin; a sense of grievance; personal experience of discrimination; disagreement with Government policy.

Unmet Aspirations - Perceptions of injustice; feeling of failure; rejection of civic life;

Criminality - Experiences of imprisonment; poor resettlement/reintegration; previous criminal group involvement.

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Case studies

Any case experience in the room? Who might become a case DVD Who acted What can we learn from this

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Process of radicalisation

Channel identifies risk factors for:

1. An individual being engaged with an extremist group

2. An individual has the intention to use violence

3. An individual is capable of contributing to an act of terrorism

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Is this young person engaging with an extremist group?

Spending increasing time in the company of other suspected extremists;

Changing personal appearance to accord with the group; Day-to-day behaviour becoming increasingly centred

around an extremist ideology, group or cause; Loss of interest in other friends and activities not

associated with the extremist ideology, group or cause; Possession of material or symbols associated with an

extremist cause (e.g. the swastika, red hand etc.); Attempts to recruit others to the group/cause/ideology; or; Communications with others that suggest identification

with a group/cause/ideology.

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Might the young person be intending to use violence?

Identifying another group as threatening;

Blaming that group for all social or political ills;

Using insulting or derogatory names or labels for another group;

Speaking about the imminence of harm from the other group and the importance of action now;

Justifying offending on behalf of the group, cause or ideology;

Condoning violence or harm towards others; or

Plotting or conspiring with others.

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Is this young person capable of contributing to an act of terrorism?

Having a history of violence; Being criminally versatile and using criminal

networks to support extremist goals; Having occupational skills that can enable acts

of terrorism (such as civil engineering, pharmacology or construction);

Having technical expertise that can be deployed (e.g. IT skills, knowledge of chemicals, military training or survival skills)

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Does Gaming play a role? Hezbollah launched ‘Special Force 2’ about the conflict with

Israel, to ‘educate’ upcoming generations on the importance of their struggle.

‘Foreign fighters’ in Syria have also uploaded videos onto the internet mimicking the perspective of a First-Person Shooter (FPS) to try to tap into this market as a possible recruitment ground.

Far-right terrorist Anders Breivik also discussed ‘training’ on Call of Duty.

To those who have not yet been radicalised, this is where counter-narratives to extremism may be the most valuable.

Neil Miller Open Democracy 17/1/14

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Oldham Safeguarding Board

Resilience of individual to radicalisation

Cognitive opening

Breeding ground of concerns frustrations and resentments

Demand for

answers

Supply of radicalising

ideas

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Factors that Support Resilience to Extremisms

Individual resources

Community resources

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Building Resilience with Young People and Communities

Talk for a Change 2012

Interviews with 700 young people and 40 professionals in areas of summer disturbances 2011.

Literature and social media review

Recommendations for practice in communities and with individuals

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Factors that support resilience

Young people want voice, influence and power but are not always given opportunity. 50%.

Public representation of young people does not see them as an asset. 76% negative.

Young people have many creative ideas about contributing to communities and know what additional skills they need.

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Factors that support resilience

Belonging, trust, ownership, engagement - 49% think they could play a direct role.

Commitment and volunteering - 25% of NEET want to volunteer but only 4.6% were.

Support – only 20% received the support they need to become adults and contribute their communities. For those involved in CJS this dropped to 11%.

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Safe Spaces Dialogue

Liddism

“Attempting to keep the lid on insecure

situations without addressing the core

reasons for dissent will not work”.

Paul Rogers, Losing Control, 2000, p10.

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Summary

Much of what you need to be competent in this area you already know, and any actions require the skills you already have.

Some additional understandings and knowledge will, we hope, be empowering.

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