Dealing with radicalisation

What action should I take if your child has been radicalised?

If you feel your child – or another child – may be in immediate danger, a threat to others, or there is a risk they may leave the country, contact the police and ensure that their passport is kept in a safe place.

You can report any concerns about online grooming to the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Command or to Act Early which was set up by the Counter Terrorism Police

Do’s

• Speak to your child calmly and try to understand why they have adopted these views and use counter narratives to delegitimise them
• Teach yourself the basics of IT safety, either by engaging in material online such as BT Skills for Tomorrow or by taking a skills training course such as the Web Guardians™ programme which teaches mothers a range of things as well as how to spot signs of extremism and radicalisation
• Develop strong counter narratives with which you can delegitimise the logic used by extremist groups
• Recognise the threats faced today are very different from what you experienced in your youth, specifically online safety
• In the case of Islamic extremism, if you believe they plan to travel to join ISIS, keep their passport in a safe place and notify the authorities
• Invite support from other adults they may respect, for example, if you are dealing with Islamic extremism, get in contact with a trusted imam to discredit the ideology of ISIS

Don’ts

• Get angry or become confrontational
• Openly threaten to report them
• Try to stop them from using all phones or computers. This is not a long-term solution and may encourage them to reach out to recruiters in person
• Feel like you are spying or ‘turning in’ your child. They have been specifically targeted by extremists seeking to groom and brainwash them
• By monitoring whether or not your child is becoming radicalised you are trying to protect them from harm, or from harming others

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