Many of our young people are at risk of being groomed. Grooming is when a person engages in manipulative, patterned behaviour to gain access to and prepare a child or young person for sexual abuse and exploitation.
Groomers take a lot of time to develop relationships, building trust and rapport, learning about their victim’s vulnerabilities, likes and interests. They use this knowledge to lower the child’s resistance, gain and maintain control and trust, and then slowly introduce sexual content and physical contact. Groomers may rely on mobile phones, social media, and the internet to interact with children in inappropriate ways and will often ask the child to keep their relationship a secret so the crime is less likely to be discovered.
If you believe a child is in immediate danger, or you have immediate concerns for the welfare of a child, call “000” or local police on 131 444.
If your concern is about online child exploitation and abuse you can report directly to the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation CLICK HERE
If you would prefer to report in confidence visit Crime Stoppers or by phoning 1800 333 000.
