Home Secretary orders review of counter-extremism to tackle VAWG

The Sunday Telegraph has revealed that the Home Secretary has ordered a review of the counter extremism strategy.

The review will consider tackling violence against women and girls (VAWG)in the same way as Islamist and far-Right extremism.

The news comes after warnings that teenage boys are being radicalised online and also after statistics were published on the extent of VAWG.

The National Police Chiefs Council recently published a report into violence against women and girls, which called it an 'epidemic'.

Police recorded VAWG related crime increased by 37 per cent between 2018 and 23. Over one million VAWG related crimes were recorded during 2022/23, accounting for 20 per cent of all police recorded crime.

It is believed around 1 in 20 people are believed to be perpetrators of VAWG each year and evidence shows many of these perpetrators will have touch points with a number of agencies outside of policing through their life, presenting opportunities for intervention.  

The change would mean that teachers, healthcare professionals and local authority staff will be legally required to refer pupils they suspect of extreme misogyny to Prevent.

The review is expected to be completed in the Autumn and will form the basis of the new counter-extremism strategy which should be launched early next year.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “For too long, Governments have failed to address the rise in extremism, both online and on our streets, and we’ve seen the number of young people radicalised online grow. Hateful incitement of all kinds fractures and frays the very fabric of our communities and our democracy.”

Campaiger and author Laura Bates said: "While this is a big step forward in terms of recognising the severity, spread, and impact of extreme misogyny and male violence on so many women and girls’ lives, it is vital that we see a broad and joined up approach that includes resources, funding and training for schools, police forces and the CPS, a prevention-focused approach that includes high quality education, public facing campaigns, ringfenced funding for frontline services, a recognition of the ways in which extremist misogyny intersects with white supremacy and racism and the cumulative impact on minoritised women, and a commitment to tackling the underlying foundations of normalised sexism across our society, media and institutions."