Sometimes, an abuser will then blackmail their victim with this explicit content they possess, forcing them to do or send even more. This may start with simple requests, but in many cases progresses to the abuser asking for things like explicit images. Once the groomer has established a relationship, they will then start to play with the power or control that they have gained. They might encourage them to share private things that they claim to understand or make the child feel understood and special for being singled out. There is a range of different models of grooming, but in all online grooming cases, the abuser will build a relationship with their victim by making the young person feel like they can trust them. This might be a social media profile or be part of an online game where players create profiles and personas to interact with each other. Online grooming often happens when an abuser will seek out a child using an online platform. Online groomers often target multiple victims and may have spent years developing an approach that they find successful.

The abuse that happens as a result of online grooming can take many forms and may be done in a way that is very difficult to detect. This harm might happen at the same time as the abuser pressuring the child to keep quiet about what is happening to them so that the abuse can continue. Online grooming usually involves an abuser building the trust of a young person before exploiting or harming them. This is not only because of young people’s increased use of social media and smartphones but also because it is much easier for abusers to pretend to be someone else from behind a fake online profile. This abuse might also take place online or it might involve the older person manipulating the child into meeting up and then abusing them in person.Ĭases of online grooming tend to be higher than in-person, with the NSPCC reporting an 80% increase in cases over the past four years. Online grooming typically involves an older person attempting to get close to a child with the intention of exploiting, harming or sexually abusing them. It’s important to note that whilst grooming is an abusive practice that can happen to anyone, in this article we’re going to specifically be focusing on online grooming that happens between a child and an adult. In this article, we explain how to spot the warning signs of online grooming, how it happens and how you can prevent it to keep children and young people safe. Parents, teachers and other care providers all have a key role to play in protecting the wellbeing of children and vulnerable young people, which includes knowing the dangers of online grooming and how to prevent it. Figures from Cybersafe Kids also revealed that 26% of children with social media profiles are friends or are followed by people that they don’t know or have never met in real life. Ofcom figures show that 60% of eight to eleven-year-olds in the UK have a profile on a social media platform, meaning thousands of children could potentially be at risk of online grooming. These perpetrators are emboldened by the knowledge that there will be children out there who do not understand the risks of speaking with someone whose identity they do not know.

While grooming is an issue that pervades the real world, the internet provides perpetrators with a platform where they can easily pretend to be someone else due to the anonymity of online profiles.

Grooming process online predators