Radicalisation

What is radicalisation?

Radicalisation is the process by which an individual, influenced by internal and external factors, starts to develop increasingly extremist ideals and aspirations to disrupt society that can lead to violent extremism or terrorism.

There is no obvious profile of anyone likely to become involved in extremism or a single indicator of when a person might move to adopt violence in support of extremist ideas.

The process of radicalisation is different for every individual and can take place over an extended period or within a very short time frame.

How can we prevent it?

Prevent is designed to stop people from supporting terrorism or becoming terrorists themselves. Through our Prevent work we aim to identify those susceptible to violent extremism and provide access to appropriate interventions. Prevent addresses radicalisation to all forms of terrorism, including the extreme right-wing, for example, and the non-violent, which can popularise views that terrorists exploit.

See our Prevent page to find out more

Take the online Prevent course

What do I do if I am concerned someone is at risk of radicalisation?

See our Making a Channel referral in West Sussex document to find out more about who to contact and the support available.