The ‘action/inaction conundrum’ in early interventions to prevent extremism

Davies, Bethan ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4997-8432 2026. The ‘action/inaction conundrum’ in early interventions to prevent extremism. The British Journal of Criminology: An International Review of Crime and Society , azag030. 10.1093/bjc/azag030

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Abstract

This article conceptualizes the existence of an ‘action/inaction conundrum’ for practitioners delivering early interventions to prevent the onset of extremism among young people. At a time of heightened trepidation that government programmes are not performing well, as well as concerns that extremism itself has evolved and broadened, there is an allure to earlier intervention. Yet, practitioners refer to unintended consequences, such as labelling and stigmatization, that could result from this work, meaning they must balance the risks of both intervention (action) and non-intervention (inaction). Informed by a combination of observations (70 hours) and 28 semi-structured interviews, this article explores the tensions of navigating this ‘conundrum’ and its impacts on practice.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISSN:	0007-0955
Funders:	ESRC
Projects:	ES/P00069X/1
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	10 April 2026
Date of Acceptance:	20 March 2026
Last Modified:	07 Aug 2026 13:51
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/186301

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