Research evidence shows that terrorist actors often ‘leak’ their intent towards planning and carrying out terrorist violence to those close to them – partners, family members or close friends (Gill et al, 2014), just as perpetrators of other types of mass targeted violence, such as ‘school shooters’, do. These ‘intimate bystanders’ are thus often the first to notice the behaviours and thoughts of an intimate who is planning violent extremist acts yet, until recent years, little was known about whether intimate bystanders in such a position would report their concerns to authorities, or about what the barriers, blocks, or enablers to such a sharing of concern with authorities might be. Building on pioneering Australian research, the subsequent international series of ‘Community Reporting Thresholds’ research studies involving the UK, US and Canada have shed valuable light on what forms of information, guidance and support intimate bystanders would want and need in facing the immensely difficult decision to report a loved one. This presentation considers this research evidence and policy and practice impact of the UK study, namely the ‘Act Early’ website and campaign. Led by the National Counter-Terrorism Police, ‘Act Early’ is a public information and education web resource that offers advice on signs of radicalisation, real life stories of families who have faced such a scenario and the form of ‘Channel’ preventative intervention they’ve experienced after reporting, and the opportunity to receive guidance and support via the phone. In analysing the assumptions, basis, and approach of ‘Act Early’, the presentation will locate it both within the broader trajectory of the UK’s P/CVE Prevent Strategy and its ‘safeguarding’ paradigm, and in police -community relations in the UK.
Paul Thomas is Professor of Youth and Policy in the School of Business, Education and Law at the University of Huddersfield. Paul’s research focuses on how frontline practitioners enact state policies around the prevention of violent extremism and around community cohesion and racial tensions. Paul was co-PI for the ESRC/CREST-funded UK ‘Community Reporting Thresholds’ study and for the subsequent Canadian and US replication studies. Paul also worked with Joel Busher and Tufyal Choudhury on the first English national study of how educators in England’s schools and colleges were implementing the Prevent counter-terrorism duty. Paul is a qualified youth and community worker and previously worked for the Government’s Commission for Racial Equality.