School closures and self-isolation due to Covid have lead to more screen time than usual. Nowadays, kids need a lot of online research for their school projects. Parents should strictly limit the time spent by their children online. Children below two years shouldn’t have any screen time. There are an estimated 5,00,000 online predators active each day. According to the FBI, over 50% of the victims of online sexual exploitation are between 12 and 15.
What is online grooming?
Online grooming is where someone befriends a child online and builds up their trust intending to exploit them and cause them harm.
Groomers are very skilled and using fake accounts and photos, and they may also appear to be the same age and have the same hobbies as the child. Some groomers may impersonate a modeling scout, sports coach, celebrity, or influencer. Groomers first try to build a trustworthy relationship with your children, then later they control your children by isolating them from their parents and friends. Sometimes children are not aware of online groomers. Groomers support the children a lot to create a friendship with them. Online predators can take advantage of the things every child wants (mobile phones, alcohol, drug) in life and self-discovery, need for validation which parents sometimes deny. Grooming is now a criminal offense as the offense carries a minimum penalty of more than ten years in prison.
Child grooming behaviors
- Always online
- Meet strangers without parent’s permission
- Becoming isolated and secretive
- Lowest interest in extracurricular activities
- Emotional and behavioral changes
How do I stop child grooming?
Ask your children who they’re talking to. Keep a look for abnormal behavior or changes in a child’s behavior. Constantly monitor the gifts received by the child. Don’t allow children to talk with strangers. Children may not understand they have been groomed since predators are like friends to them.
Build trust in your child
We have to work hard to try and build trust with our kids so that when something unimaginable happens in their world, we are on their roster of allies who can help. Build trust so that kids can approach you at any time, especially when something scary happens
Report content
All information regarding possible sexual exploitation (cyberbullying) should be reported to the police or law and enforcement immediately. Parents are not alone in caring about children’s online safety; tech companies are there to help you.
Counselor
Encourage the child to talk with a counselor if they are worried or upset about anything that happened online.
Know who their friends are
Tell them not to share personal information, locations with strangers. Constantly monitor to whom they are talking or texting frequently.
Conclusion
Grooming techniques vary and may involve manipulation, flattery, gift-giving, and sexualization. The online grooming of young people for online and offline sexual abuse is a global issue.
