Title: Child Sexual Exploitation and Grooming
Headings: Child Sexual Exploitation and Grooming
Child Sexual Exploitation and Grooming
Defining child sexual exploitation
Identifying the signs
How sexual exploitation happens
Grooming
How grooming happens
​Identify the signs
Most at risk
Identify perpetrators of child sexual exploitation
Report child sexual exploitation and grooming
Talk to children about sexual exploitation
More information
External resources
Keeping children safe from sexual exploitation strategy

Content: It may be hard to identify when someone is being groomed until after they have been sexually abused, because grooming behaviour can sometimes look like ‘normal’ caring behaviour, however this is not always the case.​
Examples of grooming behaviour may include: g iving gifts or special attention to a child or young person, or their parent or carer, making the child or young person feel special and/or indebted to an adult
m aking close physical contact sexual, such as inappropriate tickling and wrestling/play fighting
openly or pretending to accidentally expose the victim to nudity, sexual material and sexual acts (this in itself is classified as child sexual abuse but can also be a precursor to physical sexual assault)
controlling a child or young person through threats, force or use of authority making the child or young person fearful to report unwanted behaviour. 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. The grooming process may continue for months before the offender arranges a physical meeting. How grooming happens
There are many different ways in which grooming can occur and it may even be parents, carers or other adults who supervise young people, who are targeted by this behaviour. While the below information describes some of the ways in which grooming can happen, grooming will not always look like this. Offenders are deceptive and manipulative in the way they work, so it is important to draw on a range of information, such as the warning signs of sexual exploitation, if you have concerns. Targeting
The groomer could be a male or female and may look for a young person or a group of young people in places such as schools, other places young people frequent or by creating false profiles on the internet. They may show an interest in the child and perhaps offer the child or young person something, for example, a cigarette, food and drink or someone to talk to for support. Relationship building
The groomer may want to keep contact with their target and even isolate them from their supportive networks.