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A failure to move on from a counter-terror mindset has left the country ill-prepared to deal with new forms of extremism, a report by the Home Affairs Committee has warned.

• Read the report

Prevent remains the go-to mechanism for dealing with individuals considered at risk but is outdated and inadequately prepared to deal with modern extremism challenges in the digital world.

Extremist content in online spaces has created fast evolving subcultures promoting antisemitism, misogyny and violence, putting social cohesion at risk. The risk to children and young people is acute but poor understanding of extremism is inhibiting the government response.

The Committee calls for a reset to the approach to dealing with extremism to establish an effective multi-agency strategy that can triage referrals to appropriate services. The evidence base underpinning decision making is also poor and needs to be improved as a matter of urgency.

Chair comment

Chair of the Home Affairs Committee, Dame Karen Bradley said: 

“Many of the core functions designed to divert children and young people at risk of being radicalised were established in a different age. Prevent has the clear and explicit function of stopping people becoming radicalised into terrorism, but more and more it is having to support those with no ideological motivation, who may have complex needs and operate in digital spaces that are poorly understood. 

“There needs to be a comprehensive structure in place at a local level, but implemented nationwide, that triages referrals to where they can receive the right support.

"We cannot have a siloed approach that sees one agency as responsible when it will require the joint efforts of police, health, education and local government services to identify cases and intervene.”