Prevent and Radicalisation
Prevent and Radicalisation
Lesduur is: 40 minOnderdelen in deze les
Prevent and Radicalisation
Open the lesson by setting a calm, respectful tone. Explain that this topic is about safety, critical thinking, and knowing how to get help if something feels wrong.
Our learning goal
I can explain what radicalisation is, how Prevent aims to keep people safe, and what warning signs show that someone may need support.
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
What words come to mind when you hear Prevent?
Use this to surface prior ideas and misconceptions before teaching. Likely themes: safety, school, support, extremism, rules, help, online influence.
What Prevent is
Prevent is part of the UK's safeguarding work
Its aim is to stop people being drawn into extremism
It is about support and safety, not blame
Schools use Prevent as part of their duty of care
Keep the focus on PSHE and safeguarding. Avoid turning this into a legal or political lecture; students need the core purpose in simple terms.
Safeguarding, not punishment
Prevent works in the same way as other safeguarding systems in school. If an adult is worried that a young person may be at risk, the first step is to notice the concern, listen carefully, and pass it to the right safeguarding lead. The aim is early help before harm grows.
A common misconception is that Prevent means someone is automatically in trouble. Clarify that concern does not equal guilt.
Why schools teach this
Young people may see harmful ideas online
Some messages are designed to manipulate emotions
Learning about Prevent builds resilience
Trusted adults can help students stay safe
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
The basic idea of risk
A person does not become vulnerable to harmful influence because of one single reason. Risk can build from a mix of factors such as isolation, anger, feeling unheard, or being targeted by persuasive people or groups. Prevent focuses on noticing vulnerability early and offering support.
Emphasise that vulnerability can affect many different people. Avoid stereotypes about religion, ethnicity, or background.
What is the main aim of Prevent in schools?
To give early support
To punish students
To ban debate
To monitor grades
Checks the key idea from slides 2 to 5: Prevent is safeguarding and early help, not blame or punishment.
Complete the safeguarding summary
Prevent is part of the UK's safeguarding work. In schools, it is about support and safety, not blame. Adults notice risk early and offer help before harm grows.
Echoes the exact language from the first subtopic so students anchor the core vocabulary.
What radicalisation means
Radicalisation is a process, not a single moment
A person may slowly accept extreme ideas
They may be encouraged to reject other views
In some cases, this can lead to harmful actions
Use simple, neutral language. Students do not need graphic examples; they need to understand the process of influence.
How the process can happen
Feeling isolated or angry → searching for answers online or in groups → repeated exposure to extreme messages → trust in one-sided sources grows → other viewpoints are rejected → risk of harmful behaviour increases
Present this as one possible pathway, not a fixed rule. Make clear that many people feel upset or isolated and do not become radicalised.
How people may be influenced
Repeated messages on social media
False information presented as fact
Pressure to join a group or cause
'Us and them' thinking
Promises of belonging, purpose, or status
Link this to media literacy: repetition and emotional language can make weak ideas seem convincing.
Extremism and radicalisation
Extremism means strongly rejecting fundamental values such as respect, tolerance, and democracy. Radicalisation is the process by which someone may come to accept those extreme ideas. Not every strong opinion is extremism, but ideas become dangerous when they encourage hatred, violence, or the denial of other people's rights.
Students may confuse disagreement with extremism. Help them distinguish between debate, strong opinion, and harmful ideology.
Which best describes radicalisation?
A strong opinion
A single event
A slow process
A school punishment
Targets the misconception corrected on slide 6: radicalisation is a process, not one moment.
Complete the process map
A person may feel isolated and start searching for answers online or in groups. With repeated exposure to extreme messages, trust in one-sided sources can grow. They may then reject other viewpoints, which increases risk.
This acts like a text-based mind map completion using the exact sequence taught on slides 7 to 9.
Which influence tactic seems most risky online?
Repeated messages
False facts
Group pressure
Us and them
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Possible warning signs
Sudden rejection of different groups
Repeating extreme messages without question
Becoming secretive about online activity
Fixation on conspiracy claims or violence
Pulling away from friends, family, or school
Stress that one sign alone does not prove anything. Adults look for patterns, changes, and context.
What to do if you are worried
If something you see or hear makes you feel uneasy, do not deal with it alone. Speak to a trusted adult such as a teacher, tutor, parent, carer, or safeguarding lead. Avoid sharing harmful content further, and remember that reporting a concern is about protecting someone, not getting them into trouble.
Name the school's safeguarding lead if appropriate. Reinforce that students should not investigate, argue online, or promise secrecy to a friend about serious safety concerns.
Staying safe and thinking clearly
Believing one source without checking
Sharing posts before thinking
Treating one group as the enemy
Hiding worrying content from adults
Healthy habits
Check where information comes from
Ask whether the message is trying to provoke anger or fear
Listen to more than one viewpoint
Talk to trusted adults when unsure
Warning habits
This slide gives practical protective behaviours, which is important for ending on empowerment rather than fear.
If you feel worried, what should you do first?
Post about it
Keep it secret
Tell a trusted adult
Investigate alone
Checks the safety action from slide 11. Distractors reflect unsafe responses explicitly warned against in the deck.
Complete the safety advice
When something online feels worrying, check the source of the information. Listen to more than one viewpoint and speak to a trusted adult if you are unsure. Avoid sharing harmful content further.
Reinforces protective habits from slides 11 and 12 using practical, load-bearing vocabulary.
What is one thing you will remember from this lesson?
Invite brief reflection on the most important takeaway. Encourage answers such as support, early warning signs, trusted adults, checking sources, or understanding radicalisation as a process.
What helped you understand this topic best?
Use responses to see which teaching approach worked best for this group, for example examples, discussion, definitions, or the process sequence.
How confident do you feel about what to do if you are worried?
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Glossary
Prevent - a UK safeguarding approach that aims to stop people being drawn into extremism
safeguarding - action taken to protect people's safety and wellbeing
radicalisation - the process by which someone may come to accept extreme ideas
extremism - support for ideas that reject basic values such as respect and tolerance
vulnerability - being more open to harm, pressure, or manipulation
influence - the power to affect someone's thinking or behaviour
trusted adult - an adult who can listen, support, and take action to keep someone safe
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
Glossary
manipulation - controlling or persuading someone unfairly for another person's aims
misinformation - false or misleading information shared as if it were true
conspiracy claim - an explanation that says powerful groups are secretly controlling events without reliable evidence
online safety - using digital spaces in ways that protect yourself and others
respect - treating other people as having equal value and rights
tolerance - accepting that others may have different beliefs or ways of life
Deze slide heeft geen instructies
