CHILDREN under 12 and teenagers are being referred to the Government’s counter-radicalisation programme at a rate of one a day.
Between April 2012 and June 2014 a total of 834 under 18-year-olds were reported to Channel, which provides support for those identified as vulnerable to being drawn into terrorism.
The Home Office said that since the Channel programme was rolled out nationally in April 2012 there have been more than 4,000 referrals and confirmed that the number has increased since last year.
A regional breakdown shows that the highest number of referrals during the period were made in the North West, with 478.
Government guidance says Channel “may be appropriate for anyone who is vulnerable to being drawn into any form of terrorism” and is “about ensuring that vulnerable children and adults of any faith, ethnicity or background receive support before their vulnerabilities are exploited by those that would want them to embrace terrorism”.
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