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What is Grooming?
Most child sexual abuse begins with grooming, a slow process that builds trust. Grooming often looks like kindness, mentorship, or attention. That's what makes it so dangerous. Understanding grooming is the first step toward prevention.
What Grooming Is and Isn't
Grooming is not affection, friendship, or mentorship. It's a strategy of manipulation that prepares a child for abuse and conditions adults to ignore warning signs.
It often looks like kindness or special attention and is designed to build trust and break down boundaries over time.
Grooming can happen in person or online and usually occurs in several stages.
Six Stages of Grooming
1. Targeting the victim: Looking for children who are vulnerable, isolated, or have unmet emotional needs.
3. Filling a need: Providing gifts, attention, or affection to build emotional dependence.
5. Sexualizing the relationship: Gradually introducing sexual content or touch to confuse and desensitize the child.
2. Gaining the victim’s Trust: Build relationships with the child and sometimes the family, appearing helpful and protective.
4. Isolating the child: Creating opportunities to be alone with the child and distancing them from other relationships.
6. Maintaining control: Using threats, guilt, or manipulation to keep the child silent and compliant.
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