Responding to the Threat of Violent Extremism - Failing to Prevent

The shocking 7/7 London bombings and subsequent plots have confirmed the Islamist terrorist threat faced by the UK. How should we understand such home-grown terrorism, and how successful since 2005 have government attempts to ‘prevent violent extremism’ through community-based education been? This 2012 monograph draws on research evidence, much of it from work with young people in the north of England, to suggest that the 'Prevent' policy approaches have been misguided and ineffective, further alienating British Muslim communities rather than supporting longer-term attempts to encourage community cohesion and integration that provides resilience against extremism.