Social capital and the enactment of prevent duty: an empirical case-study of schools and colleges

Since the introduction of the Prevent duty, there have been serious anxieties expressed concerning its potential to be discriminatory and counter-productive in nature. Further, various erroneous referrals have illuminated how oversights can vilify innocent people, including children. Through the analysis of empirical data collected within schools, colleges and other public sector organisations across Sussex, this article explores how some tasked with the duty’s implementation enact agency when attempting to alleviate these concerns. In this regard, this article is the first to apply a social capital framework to better understand the role played by informal relationships in respect to people’s duty to identify and refer those considered to be “at risk of radicalisation” or “being drawn into terrorism”. As Prevent is not evenly distributed across the county in terms of people’s confidence, knowledge, training and depth of awareness, some respondents were accessing wider informal support and guidance when required. The findings also indicate that those who engage in these informal relationships – both internally within schools/colleges and externally with public-sector agencies – speak of higher levels of confidence and less apprehension with the duty. Further, informal relationships appeared to have the potential to affect perceptions and actualities of erroneous referrals.