How to tell mental health deterioration from radicalisation?

[Jennamurphy]

I was hoping someone could help me out here
how could you determine if someone’s behavioural changes were a normal deterioration of their MH & neurodiverse traits (naivety, no filter, mood swings) or if it was due to radicalisation ?

in relation to young adults so under 25s

You should contact an expert who can get this person the right support if you have concerns, as per Prevent. Radicalisation is ordinarily the result of some sort of cognitive gap that results from damage to our foundational beliefs about the world, usually triggered by some sort of trauma - but we have very little data on how radicalisation may differ or work amongst neurodivergent people. What we do know is that radicalisation can be easier, due to that naivety factor you identified.

so because she is so vulnerable she is more likely to be a victim would prevent take action against her ?

Mental health decline alone would not indicate radicalisation. But if noted alongside other signs, it may increase concerns

https://www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/reporting-abuse/dedicated-helplines/protecting-children-from-radicalisation/

• decreased empathy (she’s normally empathetic to things she morally opposes , however she does have complex trauma disorder)
• blunt facial expressions
• easily angered
• feels resentful at things occurring around the world (again due to trauma)
• daughter says her friend has been displaying sympathy to certain people I.e. Bin laden, saying he was avenging America for wars and genocide in the ME
• she is heavily traumatised

• experiences paranoia thinks the west are targeting her for being a suspected terrorist (her passport doesn’t work on the egates in England)
• assuming she is on a watch list

Will prevent help ? I don’t think she needs convicting I think she needs help

Prevent can help; it's not about convicting people. Does she have a social worker, is she in education? If so that would be the place to start. If not Google [local area] + MASH and give them a call - they should be able to help/sing-post

No social worker; she’s in some form of employment

Do I need her permission to do this?

I forgot to specify she’s in her 20s but under 25 will MASH still apply ?

Yep! You don't need her permission to call them and ask for advice. They're unlikely to offer any immediate help but can signpost you to the most appropriate service hopefully

Good luck x

(There should be an option for adult social services)

you need to make a referral for prevent personally, this is based on what you have said, this doesn't mean they will automatically go terrorist etc. But they can look into it and make an assessment. this would be done via the police or MASH up to the age of 19 unless they have a disability then it's 24. best thing to do is either ring 101 or MASH and ask, they will support and advise of who is best to make the referral to

Thank you I will look into it xx

will this mean my daughter also vulnerable (but not the one potentially radicalised) could be safeguarded or will this only be dependant on the outcome of an assessment ?

my daughter lives with her - its her friend you see is there anything I can do for my daughter ? She is against me reporting this

@Skyblue92 aye she has autism and complex mental health

my daughter says I am being racist and they will deport her or jail her I said that is ridiculous they will not but she won’t speak to me

It is hard as a mother when you know to do the right thing but the kids don’t listen

My immediate thought that this is a mental health issue rather than radicalisation, but she is an adult and your options will be limited.

I would contact MASH, google the local MASH hub to you and ask for advice, they will not automatically deport her etc, they will potentially safeguard her depending on her level of risk. With what you said about Mental Health etc they may do that instantly. You aren't being racist at all, if it was then teachers etc wouldn't make referrals on a regular basis and they do, for both right wing extremism and religious extremism,

i hope so I hope it is her trauma and nothing more to it she is a lovely girl

my daughter said mum they wont believe you they will say your lying and tbf if you met her you wouldnt come to this conclusion either but I’m not saying this for no reason

at the same time if she hurt someone or herself I would never forgive myself for knowing and not doing anything about it so I will give them a call in the morning or Monday perhaps ? sorry I don’t know how this works and thank u I am not racist in the slightest i am concerned about a vulnerable girls wellbeing

how do I protect my daughter ? if this is happening and the wee lass gets worse ?

I know I grow a pair of balls and parent my daughter but shes 23 and they rent share a house so my involvement is limited if they dont want to call me or answer the door they wont and I’m worried I’m alienating my daughter

they will believe you and listen to you, they won't just ignore it. i think MASH are 24/7 so there's no harm ringing before Monday. They'll have people from multiple agencies including the police.

Does your daughter have additional needs? I only ask because the way she's defending her friend could suggest either she doesn't want to admit her friend might be caught up or she's slowly being radicalised if it is radicalisation. it may not be, but some of the comments you have mentioned are what we look out for. those being radicalised don't suddenly go to wanting to murder certain people, its a slow transition

aye my daughter has similar additional needs to her friend but she doesn’t believe her friend would act on those extreme thoughts I think disbelief perhaps ? she said her friend is “one of the good ones and wouldnt do that” I said to her its not as simple as good or bad some people struggle and need support so they can deal with unlearning the brainwashing she said if her friend gets taken from her she won’t speak to me and apparently it’s none of my business but this can be nipped in the bud earlier so whatever it is can be resolved