Securitising social work: counter terrorism, extremism, and radicalisation

This chapter critically explores an emerging area of social work practice in the UK, namely its increasing role in counter terrorism activities. The chapter explores the policy context within which social work in the UK as well as many other professions, has now become legally mandated to identify and prevent violent extremism and terrorism, as well as report and or work with, families and individuals where there are concerns about radicalisation and extremism. We argue that whilst the social work professions' incursion into counter terrorism work in presented in a benign and straightforward manner i.e as an extension of "normal" safeguarding activities rather this is evidence of an increasingly securitised profession. We will subsequently explore the concept of securitisation traditionally used in International Relations, to e about increasingly securitised evidence our concerns about increasingly securitised social work activities by drawing on the work of Buzan, Waever and De Wilde (1998)