Preventing Violent Extremism: Perceptions of Policy from Grassroots and Communities

terrorism counter-terrorism (CT) radicalisation preventing violent extremism (PVE) policing

Following the high-profile terrorist attacks in New York in 2001 and London in 2005 (7/7), the UK government incorporated a programme of preventative activity into its counter-terrorism (CT) strategy. The rationale for the ‘Prevent’ programme was the perceived increased risk of ‘home- grown’ terrorism. Central to the approach adopted was enlisting and engaging local Muslim communities within CT strategies. This reflects a widely-held belief, as espoused by a number of commentators, that ‘com- munities are the long-term solution to terrorism’ (Briggs 2010, p.981).