PREVENTING RADICALISATION

Radicalisation is the process through which people come to support violent extremism. Violent extremism involves supporting or using violence to achieve a cause. This can, in rare cases, lead people and groups to commit terrorist acts.

Radicalisation can take place when someone is groomed into supporting violent extremism. They may be encouraged to support extremist ideas, such as those linked to politics, religion or other causes. They may be encouraged to feel anger and intolerance towards other people, groups or communities and may come to believe that violence is needed to pursue their ideas. Radicalisation can happen over anything from a few days to several years.

Currently, concerns are greatest about radicalisation to causes associated with international terrorist activity and right wing extremism. The internet, social media and online gaming sites have become key places for promoting extremism and targeting people for radicalisation.

Signs that someone is being radicalised could include:

• Becoming more secretive, especially around internet use
• Spending increasing amounts of time communicating with friends met online
• Becoming isolated from family and friends
• Developing a fixation on a particular subject
• Expressing intolerance or hatred of other people and communities
• Changing appearance to reflect association with a group or cause
• Expressing thoughts about harming or using violence towards others