The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children has launched a campaign to make parents more aware of the possibility of their children being radicalised
POSTERS that warn parents to be aware of their children could be radicalised will flood GP surgeries across the country as part of a new campaign.
The posters, part of The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) campaign, were sparked after the charity started receiving an increased number of calls from parents worried after the bout of terrorism and radicalisation.
Warning signs including a child isolating themselves from family and friends, talking as if from a scripted speech, increased levels of anger as well as children becoming disrespectful and asking inappropriate questions will be listed on the posters to help parents identify whether their child might be being radicalised.
The posters, which will be written in English and Welsh as well as Arabic, Urdu, Bengali and Somali, are expected to be rolled out across 1000 surgeries to target 6 million people a month.
A NSPCC spokesman said: "We have seen a wave of terrorist attacks in recent weeks and months and both parents and children tell us how frightened they are by what is happening.
"So it is vital that we are here for parents when they need our support and are able to provide them with non-judgemental advice on issues ranging from the wider terrorist threat to the dangers of radicalisation."
The campaign also saw the release of a short clip, showing concerned parents unsure of how to deal with the potential radicalisation of their children.
The charity has now trained its counsellors around how recruiters befriend vulnerable targets, feed them ideologies and - in the worst case scenario - persuade them to commit terrorist attacks.
The extensive training, provided by Home Office experts, is hoped to help counsellors best teach parents how to deal with the issue of radicalisation.
The charity said that previously, adults could raise their concerns about radicalisation and terrorism through government agencies, including MI5, anti-terror hotlines and law enforcement agencies.
But the NSPCC service will now help to provide a national point of support for parents who are concerned their children are being radicalised or who need advice around how to talk to their children about the dangers of terrorism.
Adults calling the helpline will be advised about the signs which may hint at a child being radicalised. These include:
- Isolating themselves from family and friends
- Talking as if from a scripted speech
- Increased levels of anger
- Becoming disrespectful and asking inappropriate questions
Adults can ring the helpline on 0808 800 5000 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
A NSPCC spokesman said: "We have circulated posters around the country to try and reach as many parents as possible, and make the line as accessible as possible.
"Of course, the fact that a young person might hold extreme or radical views is not a safeguarding issue in itself.
"But when young people are groomed for extremist purposes and encouraged to commit acts that could hurt themselves or others, then it becomes abuse.
"That’s why we’ve trained our counsellors to cope with this fresh danger to young people."
The spokesman said that if a counsellor believed a child was at risk of harm they would alert the appropriate authorities.
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