Title: 6 Subtle Ways Child Predators ‘Groom’ Their Victims | The Mighty
Headings: 6 Subtle Ways Child Predators 'Groom' Their Victims
6 Subtle Ways Child Predators 'Groom' Their Victims
Editor's Note
What is “grooming” in child sexual abuse?
Classic Grooming Behaviors
1. Singling Out the Child as “Special”
2. Befriending Family Members of the Child
3. Isolating the Child
4. Gradually Exposing the Child to Sexual Content
5. Pushing Physical Boundaries
6. Encouraging Secrecy
How to Protect Your Child From Sexual Predators
1. Know the Signs of Grooming and Child Abuse
2. Talk to Your Child About Safety
3. Trust Your Gut
4. Report It
Resources
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Content: This kind of manipulation can keep a child from opening up to other people about what’s going on. 4. Gradually Exposing the Child to Sexual Content
One of the reasons grooming can be so effective in trapping a child is because of its gradual nature. The perpetrator will start to “turn up the heat” so slowly that the child adjusts and adjusts, often without realizing the extent of what is happening. “It typically doesn’t happen all at once. Grooming behaviors take place first to just lower the child’s inhibitions, to make them feel comfortable,” Reed said. “ Then they might start with a picture of the child, maybe in their underwear, or even showing the child a picture of a naked person. It kind of starts like that before any actual physical contact begins.” Once the child has been exposed to visual sexual content, the perpetrator may start to introduce sexual touching, the intended outcome of the grooming process. 5.