Recent revelations about radicalisation in secondary schools have awoken SLTs across the country to a danger they may previously not have considered - Teresa Hughes has some advice…
Q “As head teacher of a large, inner-city comprehensive school I have been following recent news stories about radicalisation of students with interest and concern. We have a very multi-cultural intake, and have in fact always prided ourselves on the inclusive and tolerant atmosphere of our school. Differences are discussed and celebrated, and common ground identified wherever possible. Our teachers undergo regular training in diversification – and all in all, ‘radicalisation’ is simply not an issue I have ever thought likely to be a problem for us. Now, however, I have to ask myself whether we are in danger of complacency? Should we be worried? And is there more we could and should do to protect our young people from the kinds of influences that could lead them to make unwise and possibly dangerous choices?”
A “The recent incidents of UK schoolchildren travelling to Syria to join Islamic militants highlight an alarming new challenge. Schools have found themselves at the centre of the debate, not only in the facts surrounding the background to each child’s departure, but also at a strategic level: new measures under the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 place a statutory duty on educational institutions to prevent the radicalisation of their students and staff. This is an issue that cannot be ignored.
A key vehicle for radicalisation is the internet. Online material has a particular potency because it is unchallenged, without context and therefore more likely to resonate. A report by the University of East London1 notes that although young people are connected online like never before, this can actually leave them more isolated: “By missing out on more traditional face-to-face social encounters and away from the watchful eyes of their parents, young people face moral dilemmas that impact on their personal development as they mature into adulthood.”
The father of Sharmeena Begum, a 15 year old girl who is thought to have joined Islamic State in December 2014, believes that she was groomed by extremists who targeted her via social media on her phone. This took place shortly after the death of her mother from cancer and her father’s remarriage. Clearly, every case is different, but the combination of online accessibility and vulnerability cannot be overlooked.
The important word here is ‘groomed’. While radicalisation and extremism may appear to be in a frightening league of their own, children do not simply wake up one morning, decide to abandon their families and join an extremist rebel movement. As with sexual grooming, this is about behaviour. Extremists seeking recruits use similar tactics to sexual predators, including establishing a rapport and building trust before asking followers to act. They share compelling but distorted information with their targets. Other methods, such as displays of affection and prizes, are similar to those that cults and gangs use to attract new members.
Prevent, the UK’s counter-terror strategy, reflects this parallel:
“Schools can help to protect children from extremist and violent views in the same ways that they help to safeguard children from drugs, gang violence or alcohol… The purpose must be to protect children from harm and to ensure that they are taught in a way that is consistent with the law and our values…”
Rather than seeing this a completely new threat, therefore, schools can address this issue using the policies, skillsets and tools of existing safeguarding frameworks. When we educate children about safe online behaviour, we make them a more difficult target for those who wish to exploit them, whether their aim is to sexually abuse them or to recruit them into an extremist movement.
The website www.preventforschools.org offers many resources for head teachers and school staff looking for strategies to prevent radicalisation and to promote British values. Prevent also advises schools to adopt a ‘Notice, Check, Share’ approach: if we Notice a potential concern about a student, either through a network monitoring tool such as Securus or through other means, we should Check it with a trusted colleague, manager, friend or family member in order to understand them better. We can then Share it with the appropriate individual or agency: this may be the safeguarding officer, headteacher, local authority or police, depending on the circumstances.
It is clear that teachers have a key role to play in protecting our young people and in encouraging positive life choices. In their study of the negotiation of moral authority and understanding of the value systems of young people, Thompson and Holland noted that “one key agent stood out for the young people as a figure through which they organised their values and ethical dilemmas: the teacher.”
About the expert
Teresa Hughes is Head of Strategy at Securus Software (www.securus-software.com) and Honorary Lecturer in the Centre for Child Protection, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (SSPSSR) at the University of Kent
