Online Grooming

How to understand what online grooming is and how to protect your child.

What Is Online Grooming?

Online grooming is when an adult builds a connection with a child or young person online to exploit them.

This can occur on social media, chat rooms, gaming platforms, and instant messaging apps.

Forty-five minutes is the average time for a child to be groomed online, with extreme examples as low as nineteen seconds.

Source: WeProtect Global Alliance, Global Threat Assessment 2023. The FBI estimates there are 500,000 predators online at any one time with multiple profiles.

Key Aspects Of Online Grooming

Building Trust

The offender pretends to be friendly or trustworthy, sometimes posing as a child or teenager.

Gaining Personal Information

The offender will ask personal questions to learn about the child’s life, family and friends. They will then use this information to blackmail the child later.

Isolation

The offender may isolate the child from their family and friends, creating a secretive relationship.

Desensitisation

The offender will gradually introduce sexual topics or send them sexual imagery. All to desensitise the child to sexual matters.

Exploitation

The ultimate goal of online grooming is to exploit the child sexually.

Threats

The offender may threaten to share images with friends, or family or harm the child’s personal safety.

This process can be very subtle and manipulative, making it hard for children and sometimes even their parents to recognise what is happening.

Signs To Look Out For

A change in sleeping patterns
A change in eating patterns
Withdrawal from family and friends
Sudden change in mood
Secretive about online activities
Excessive Messaging
Declining school performance
Expressions of hopelessness

What Can You Do?

Remain calm. Your child will shut down if they feel you are reacting with anger or judgement, and it will amplify their feelings of shame.
Reassure them that they are not to blame and that you're there to help.
Have an open and non-confrontational conversation about their online activities.
Ask questions gently to understand who they're interacting with and what has been shared.
Note the username, profile details, platform, and any suspicious messages.
Take screenshots of chats or messages, preserving evidence in case it’s needed by authorities.
Avoid downloading or taking screenshots of explicit content: capturing or storing explicit images of minors, even for evidence, can lead to legal repercussions. Possession of such material is a criminal offence, regardless of intent.
If in Australia report to the Australia Centre to Counter Child Exploitation.
If in the USA report to National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
If in the UK report to Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP).
Secure Your Child’s Online Activity
- 1. Block and report the suspect account or individual.
- 2. Review and update privacy settings on apps and devices.
- 3. Consider using parental control software to monitor and limit online interactions.
Teach children about the dangers of sharing personal information online and the importance of reporting uncomfortable interactions.

By staying vigilant and fostering open communication, you can help protect children from the dangers of online grooming.

Would you like some help or someone to talk to?

I offer one on one Parent Cyber Safety Consultations which can help you plan out a solution for your family or a specific child, or just give you a sounding board to help you clarify what to do. Book a time with me here.

Categories: : grooming online