What is grooming?
‘Grooming’ is the term used to describe behaviours employed by the sex offender to target and prepare children for sexual abuse. One of the problems for professionals and parents is that the signs that a person is grooming a child are very discreet and difficult to recognise.

The Home Office has defined grooming as: ‘A course of conduct enacted by a suspected paedophile which would give a reasonable person cause for concern that any meeting with a child arising from the conduct would be for unlawful purposes.’

Grooming is a process adopted by an abuser that is normally very subtle, drawn out, calculated, controlling and premeditated. It is the subtlety of the grooming process that enables abuse to go undetected. What is vital to the paedophile is access to children and the opportunity to abuse them.

This is done to gain the child's trust as well as the trust of those responsible for the child's well-being. Additionally, a trusting relationship with the family means the child's parents are less likely to believe potential accusations.

iF you are clearly concerned about something that may have happened while online, but you are now in control. If you are in immediate danger or want urgent help call 999 or contact your local police.

Otherwise here are a number of ways to receive help and advice as well as the option to report any instance of sexual contact or harmful material to us at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre.

Click Here to report

You are doing the right thing and by taking this action you may not only help yourself but also help make other people safer as well.