What is online grooming?
Online grooming is when an adult tries to build a relationship with a child or young person online to harm or take advantage of them. This can happen through games, social media, chat apps, or live streaming.
Adults seeking to groom children online may send sexual messages or images, ask them to do things they’re not comfortable with, or try to meet up with them in person with the intention of sexually abusing them. This is illegal.
Children may feel confused, scared, or guilty if this happens. It’s important they know they can talk to a trusted adult, there is help available and that it’s never their fault if they’ve been groomed online.
Why might children talk to adults online?
Children enjoy chatting and making new friends online. It can help them meet like-minded people and explore their interests. They may talk to adults because:
- They don’t realise the person is older
- They’re curious about relationships
- They are seeking support or feel lonely
- They’re exploring feelings and friendships
Adults seeking to groom children online can use a range of tactics that make it difficult for children and young people to spot when someone is trying to trick them online. They may:
- Pretend to be younger or someone else, including a peer or ‘friend of a friend’
- Use flattery, gifts, or secrets to build trust
- Pressure children and young people to move from more public to private or encrypted chats
- Try to get a child or young person to share personal information, photos, or videos of themselves or other children
How to support your child to socialise more safely online
1. Supervise device use
Encourage younger children to use devices in shared spaces like the living room. For older children, explore supervision tools offered by social media apps.
2. Teach about trusted adults
Help your child understand that not everyone online is safe or who they say they are. Help them to identify who their trusted adults are and encourage them to only talk to people online that they also know offline.
3. Provide support
Let your child know they can always talk to you. Reassure them that it’s never their fault if someone contacts them inappropriately. Help them report anything that makes them uncomfortable.
4. Report concerns
If your child is in immediate danger, contact the police on 999. Online grooming should be reported to local police or under 18s can report directly to the National Crime Agency’s CEOP Safety Centre.