Life stories of former Channel mentees: Understanding the effects of deradicalisation mentoring programmes

Channel, the UK’s deradicalisation mentoring programme, is a central and controversial component of Prevent, the government’s high profile and internationally influential strategy to prevent violent extremism. While the UK government claims it has contributed to turn more than 1,200 individuals away from violent extremism, critics argue such claims are based on problematic counterfactuals and that the programme represents a dangerous, discriminatory, and counter-productive extension of state power. To date, however, there is scant independent research enabling us to understand how, if at all, Channel works and the effects it has on mentees. This innovative project contributes to address that gap by using life story narrative interviews with former Channel mentees to trace their trajectories into, through and after Channel. In doing so, it will shed new light on the effects, intended or otherwise, of Channel, and on the micro-, meso- and macro-level processes that shape individual trajectories through the programme.

Fieldwork 2020; initial findings to be presented autumn 2020