Do you know what is the grooming and how to combat it? Maybe you have already heard this word but you are not sure what it is about or, perhaps, the term seemed so strange to you that you did not stop to think what it is. Grooming is also called pedophile deception and refers to a type of abuse, in which an adult gains the trust of a minor to then induce him or her to engage in sexual activity.
Generally, The adult pretends to be a child or adolescent to get closer to his victim and gain his trust. with the aim of generating three levels of interaction that range from holding conversations of a sexual nature, inducing the minor to share intimate material (photos or videos with explicit content) or even reaching a physical meeting.
During this process, the following phases usually occur:
- Creation of a bond of trust. The aggressor offers attention and gifts to the minor and is very empathetic to gain their trust and access the victim’s private information.
- Isolation. The aggressor forces the victim to keep their contact secret and in this phase he seeks to get the victim to distance himself from the people in his immediate environment.
- Risk Assessment. To be sure of his position, the aggressor constantly asks if other people know about his relationship with the victim and tries to know who has access to the minor’s computer or mobile devices.
- Sexual conversations. Once the aggressor feels that he has enough trust with the victim, he begins to familiarize her with sexual terms and introduce conversations of this type.
- Sexual requests. In the last phase of grooming, the aggressor uses manipulation, threats or blackmail to obtain sexual material from the victim (audios, photos and videos) or to arrange a physical encounter.
Identifying when a child or adolescent is being a victim of this type of abuse is not easy. Nevertheless, Education is essential so that minors know how to act against this crime.
How to prevent grooming?
Pay attention to the following guidelines to avoid falling into pedophile deception or grooming.
- Adopt safe browsing habits. Establish rules and schedules for Internet use.
- Be careful with online conversations. Pay attention to the personal information you share with strangers.
- Avoid risks. Practices such as sexting or arranging meetings with people you only know online can put your physical and mental integrity at risk.
- Be careful when using your cell phone or computer camera. You must be very conscious when sharing photos or videos, even more so if it is intimate content.
- Grooming education. It is important that children and adolescents are clear about what grooming is, what its consequences are and that this it’s a crime.
- Have support. Whenever a minor has access to the Internet, it is important that they have the support and supervision of an adult who teaches them how to use technology safely and responsibly.
Without a doubt, knowing the risks and situations that may arise in the virtual world is an effective tool to prevent grooming and other types of abuse.
How to combat grooming?
In the event that a case of grooming occurs, it is important that both the victim and their caregivers keep the following recommendations in mind:
- The victim must go to a trusted adult that can provide you with help.
- When a victim decides to tell what is happening to them, it is important stay calm, validate her emotions, reaffirm unconditional support and avoid blaming her.
- Collect most of the information possible. Collect sent content, conversations, screenshots, profiles on social networks.
- Avoid giving in to the manipulation of the aggressor. Accepting the aggressor’s blackmail will make the situation worse.
- If you find situations on the Internet that may pose a risk, Report these behaviors on the pages or platforms dangerous.
- Keep in mind that grooming constitutes a crimecontact the authorities and do not hesitate to report it.
- Seek psychological help to face the consequences of this type of abuse.
Like sexual abuse, this type of abuse has serious repercussions for the person who suffers it and their family and The high exposure of children and adolescents to communication technologies has led to it being more frequent. Don’t lose sight of the recommendations to prevent and combat grooming.
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Grooming is a crime
Even if a meeting or physical contact between the victim and the perpetrator does not take place, grooming constitutes a crime and It is important to turn to the authorities if you suffer it. Do not forget that in each country, the authorities have a department that is exclusively in charge of crimes that take place in the virtual world.
In it # Movement We provide you with tools and resources so you can learn to identify and prevent sexual abuse and other types of abuse such as grooming. and discover how you can.