Record 6,000 children are referred to Prevent as obsession with violence and extremism surges

A record 6,000 children were referred to the government's anti-extremism programme last year, it can be revealed.Official police figures show 6,085 under-18s were scrutinised by the Prevent scheme in 2025 after concerns were raised about their obsession with violence and extremism.In a troubling new trend, children are being referred to the programme over a fascination with mass violence that is unrelated to a political cause.It provides further evidence of how young people's minds are being poisoned by online content, particularly on social media.The Conservatives, who obtained the 'terrifying' figures under freedom of information laws, urged Labour to take further action against online radicalisation, and warned the new data suggests children are being pulled towards violence for its own sake.The 6,085 cases in 2025 were almost triple the 2,129 recorded in 2020, and far above the previous peak of 4,116 seen in 2023.The data, from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), showed two new categories were used to record referrals last year – 'fascination with extreme violence' and 'fascination with mass casualty attacks'.And in a further disturbing development, dozens more children were referred to Prevent over their unhealthy interest in conflicts in Israel, Palestine and Iran, according to the NPCC data. A review published last year found the Prevent scheme 'prematurely' closed its case on Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana three years before he went on to murder three childrenThe figures showed 39 referrals to Prevent last year where the 'primary radical influence' was described as 'fascination with extreme violence', and 19 cases where it was 'fascination with mass casualty attacks'.A further 15 were categorised as 'fascination with school massacre', a grouping which had seen only one previous case, in 2023.The NPCC figures showed 25 cases where the radicalising influence was described as 'conflict zone – Israel/Palestine', four as 'Israel/Iran' and two as 'Israel/Hamas'.A further six were radicalised by Russia's war on Ukraine, and a further 58 recorded as being influenced by an unspecified 'conflict zone'.Meanwhile, in more than 1,700 cases the primary influence was described more broadly as 'online', plus 58 by 'gaming'.By comparison, 121 cases were referred after radicalisation by the media, 51 by 'extremist/terrorist group', 21 by books, 21 by 'faith leader/institution', 26 by movies, 17 by an 'extremist speaker'.Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'We are facing an alarming crisis as more and more children are drawn into extremism and violence.'Something has gone badly wrong when our children are being radicalised at such a young age.'The warning signs are there for all to see. Labour cannot keep burying its head in the sand while the danger grows.'He added: 'Extremism is taking new shapes and continues to evolve through new mediums that we just simply didn't used to see.'We must, as a society, continue to adapt to these changing challenges.'Chief among those mediums radicalising children is the online world.'Social media platforms have the data, know which accounts are serving extremist content, and are failing to act. That has to end.'Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott said: 'This is terrifying and should set off alarm bells.'Children do not simply become fascinated by mass violence on their own. A review found 'questionable decision-making' in Prevent's handling of Ali Harbi Ali, before he fatally stabbed serving Conservative MP for Southend West Sir David Amess at a constituency surgery event in 2021'Police chiefs and health professionals have repeatedly warned about the violence, sextortion and extreme content being served to children on social media.'She added: 'Labour were far too slow to wake up to these harms.'I'm glad they have finally listened and agreed to act to get children off social media but they must now get on with it.'Last year it emerged the Prevent scheme 'prematurely' closed its case on Southport attacker Axel Rudakubana three years before he went on to murder three children.Rudakubana had already discussed the Manchester Arena bombing and stabbing people when Prevent decided to end its involvement with him.The killer was referred to Prevent three times between 2019 and 2021 due to his interest in terrorist attacks and school shootings, but there was no evidence of a fixed ideology or motivation.Rudakubana was 17 when he stabbed 11 children and two adults in July 2024, killing nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and six-year-old Bebe King.He was jailed in January last year for a minimum of 52 years and in July this year was moved from jail to Broadmoor secure psychiatric hospital.In another serious failing, the killer of MP Sir David Amess was removed 'too quickly' from the Prevent programme, a review concluded last year.Ali Harbi Ali, a supporter of Islamic State, fatally stabbed the serving Conservative MP for Southend West at a constituency surgery event in 2021.A review found 'questionable decision-making and sub-optimal handling of the case' during the time he was engaged with Prevent.Labour announced in the summer that a social media ban for under-16s will come into force in March next year, although there is widespread concern that tech-savvy kids will circumvent the new rules.A government spokesman said: 'We are committed to ensuring all children are safe from radicalisation and threats online.'Prevent plays a crucial role in this, moving more than 6,000 people away from violent ideologies since 2015.'In addition, social media platforms must be able to remove illegal content and stop children accessing harmful material by law – or face penalties of up to £18million for failing to comply.'