RadicalizationHundreds of children under 10 in the U.K. were “at risk of extremism” last year

In just one year, the U.K. government’s Channel de-radicalization program has received reports of more than 350 children under the age of 10 who were “at risk of extremism.”

The Channel program earmarks such youngsters for mentoring by program’s specialists.

RT reports that in total, 4,611 people were referred to the program between June 2015 and June 2016 — a 75 percent increase compared with the previous year, when there were 2,632 referrals.

Figures obtained by the Press Associationshow that of those 4,611, about half — 2,311 — were 18 or younger.

Experts note that the increase in the number of referrals is the result of the introduction of a measure which requires local councils, schools, health services, prisons, and the police to report anyone voicing extremist views or considered vulnerable to radicalization.

Each case is evaluated individual, and may be referred to Channel for a one-to-one mentoring program as part of the government’s counter-extremism Prevent strategy.

Prevent was set up after the 7 July 2005 bombing.

The figures were released by the National Police Chiefs Council, and they show that of the 2,311 referrals under-18, a total of 970 were between 15 and 17 years old, 989 were aged 10 to 14, and 352 of the children were 9 or younger.

In the year following the reporting requirement to Prevent, referrals from schools increased to 1,121 — more than double the 537 in the previous year.

The government emphasizes that dealing with Channel is voluntary and does not expose to individual to any criminal sanction.

Jonathan Russell, from Quilliam, the counter-extremism think tank, told theTimes that the growing number of referrals may be the result of the “increased visibility” of ISIS.

“The important thing to note is that trained professionals think an increasing number of young people are vulnerable to radicalization,” he said.

Russell Hobby, general secretary of the headteachers’ union NAHT, said: “We need to ensure that training for teachers is provided to make sure that they are able to fulfil their duties and to ensure that referrals are appropriate.”

A spokesman for the Home Office said: “We have a duty to challenge, at every turn, the twisted narrative that has exploited some of our vulnerable young people.

“We will continue to work with communities of all backgrounds to challenge those who spread hatred.”

The Times notes that in 2015 about 70 percent of referrals to Channel were linked to Islamist-related extremism, and about 15 percent to far-right extremism.