England’s children’s commissioner says Prevent failing to help young people ‘fixated with violence’

Report by Rachel de Souza finds 71% of children referred to UK anti-terror programme do not have a clear ideology

The children’s commissioner for England has warned of a group of children “intoxicated by extremism” who need help the UK government’s anti-terror programme cannot provide.

Referrals to Prevent – the programme designed to safeguard vulnerable people from being radicalised or drawn into extremism – involving children have risen in the past decade, from 2,918 in 2016-17 to 4,715 in 2024-25.