# Prevent Strategy **Entity class:** United Kingdom counterterrorism policy **Domain:** Counterterrorism / safeguarding / public administration **Aliases:** Prevent; Prevent duty **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition **Prevent** is the prevention pillar of the United Kingdom's CONTEST counterterrorism strategy. Under section 26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015, specified authorities must have due regard to the need to prevent people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. Current guidance frames Prevent alongside safeguarding, early intervention, rehabilitation, and disengagement. The Home Office states that there is no single radicalized profile or pathway and requires proportionate decisions tied to terrorism risk. Prevent remains debated because referral systems can produce stigma, false positives, speech and academic-freedom concerns, and uneven community trust. ## Relationships - **type of:** [[wiki/Countering Violent Extremism|Countering Violent Extremism]]. - **broader strategy:** [[wiki/Counterterrorism|Counterterrorism]]. - **addresses:** [[wiki/Radicalization|Radicalization]]. - **includes support for:** [[wiki/Deradicalization|Deradicalization]] and [[wiki/Disengagement|Disengagement]]. - **ethical constraints:** proportionality, data protection, equality, freedom of speech, and professional judgment. ## Sources / Provenance - [UK Home Office — Prevent duty guidance for England and Wales](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/prevent-duty-guidance/prevent-duty-guidance-for-england-and-wales-accessible)