Prevent strategy

Overview

Prevent is one element of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST, which has four work strands:

1. Pursue: to stop terrorist attacks
2. Prevent: to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism
3. Protect: to strengthen our protection against a terrorist attack
4. Prepare: to mitigate the impact of a terrorist attack

The aim of CONTEST is to reduce the risk to the United Kingdom, it's citizens and its interests overseas from terrorism, so that people can go about their lives freely and with confidence.

The GOV.UK website provides further information about CONTEST.

What is Prevent?

The threat we face from terrorism is real, and the Prevent Strategy recognises that we cannot arrest our way out of the problem. Safeguarding and supporting vulnerable people to stop them from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism is at the heart of Prevent.

The focus of Prevent is on the significant threat posed by international terrorism and those in the United Kingdom who are inspired by it. It is also concerned with reducing threats, risks and vulnerabilities posed by domestic extremists such as those from the far right and far left, extreme animal rights activists and those involved in Northern Irish related terrorism.

Prevent is supported by three objectives:

1. tackle the causes of radicalisation and respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism
2. safeguard and support those most at risk of radicalisation through early intervention, identifying them and offering support
3. enable those who have already engaged in terrorism to disengage and rehabilitate

The GOV.UK website provides further information on the Prevent Strategy.