Child Grooming: Identifying a Child Predator Warning Signs

Statistics reveal that an unsettling number of children are survivors of child sexual abuse. Child sex abusers may seek out children through schools, church groups, sports teams, or via families or friends. The perpetrators often engage in grooming to gain a child’s, and sometimes their family’s, trust in order to lay the groundwork for future abuse. This type of predatory behavior can be hard to detect since the perpetrator engages in tactics leading to lowered inhibitions. This is why it is important to know the warning signs of child grooming so you can protect your children from child predators.

What is Child Grooming?

The Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) defines grooming as manipulative behaviors that are used by child sex abusers to gain access to a child and gradually coerce them to agree to the abuse. Grooming is a slow and deliberate process that can take place over weeks, months, or even years. Perpetrators often seek to manipulate children into believing that the abuse is a sign of love or affection, leaving the minor with the false belief that they were a willing participant in the abuse. Survivors of grooming and child sexual abuse often do not realize the full extent of what happened to them until many years later.

What Do Child Predators Look for?

Child predators and pedophiles often seek out children that they perceive to be vulnerable. This can mean children that have a chaotic family life, lack parental oversight, or are isolated or neglected. However, children with a loving home environment can also become susceptible to child sexual abuse.

What Are the Seven Stages of Grooming?

Child grooming is a strategic process used by abusers to build trust with both the minor and their family. Experts have described the seven stages of the grooming process as follows:

1. Choosing a victim

Predators target children perceived as vulnerable to easily gain access to them and their families and/or community. This may include children who lack adult supervision, have parents with drug or alcohol addiction issues, and/or those who have been physically, mentally, or psychologically abused.

2. Developing trust and gaining access

Child abusers often try to gain trust by giving the child special attention, such as through compliments, gifts, or other forms of attention.

3. Forming an emotional connection

Child abusers attempt to form an emotional connection or fulfill an emotional need. This can mean manipulating the child into believing that they are the only one who will be able to fulfill a certain need or convincing them to believe they are the only one who fully understands them. The abuser’s goal here is to trick the child into idolizing them or viewing them as their sole confidant.

4. Isolation

The groomer would next use the relationship built with the child to initiate situations where they are alone with them. This is intended to strengthen the emotional connection between the abuser and the child.

5. Threats, secrecy, and control

Child predators often manipulate abused children into not telling anyone about their ‘special’ relationship. The abuser may threaten the child with physical harm to themself or to the child, or even a third party.

6. Sexual contact that escalates over time

Once the child abuser has groomed and manipulated the child into an emotional connection, they are likely to initiate sexual contact. Abuse may begin with physical touch that is not strictly sexual, like hugging or tickling, in order to attempt to desensitize the child to touch and advance to more blatant forms of sexual behavior.

7. Maintaining control over the child and the relationship

Once the perpetrator begins to sexually abuse the child, they will often start using threats, blame, and other forms of emotional abuse to keep the relationship secret. This causes the child to fear they will be blamed or not believed if they come forward about the abuse.

What are the Warning Signs of a Child Predator?

Awareness of the warning signs of child sex abuse can help parents and concerned third parties protect children from potential perpetrators. Below, we have outlined some of the common red flags to keep in mind.

Red Flags for Strangers and Acquaintances

Predators often seek out jobs or careers that place them in close proximity to children, including in schools or as coaches in youth sports leagues. Hence, strangers and acquaintances may include sports coaches, church or school staff, private tutors, or neighbors. Red flags for people you do not know well but may know by name or face may include someone who:

• Has an unusual association with children or an unusually high interest in children’s activities
• Spends more time with children than with adults, and/or is overly affectionate with children
• Gives gifts, special privileges, or attention to specific children
• Displays unusual interest in certain categories of minors, example being male children of a certain age or body type
• Commonly engages in conversations about children’s appearances
• Interested in personal details about children
• Attempts to flatter you or your children
• Offers to help out with rides home, tutoring, etc.
• Shows pedophilic tendencies, such as jealousy and controlling behavior around a child, gaslighting, or unnatural interest in particularly pre-pubescent children

Red Flags for Friends, Family Members, and Mentors

The vast majority of instances of child sex abuse are committed by someone the child knows, with RAINN reporting that 93% of perpetrators are family members or acquaintances. These are people you likely already know and trust with your child. Some of these behaviors do not always signify that someone is a sexual abuser; however, it is still important to keep the following red flags in mind when it comes to entrusting your child with friends, family members (including close relatives), and mentors who:

• Prefer spending time with children over adults, and may even be described as immature or childish
• Are overly affectionate, touchy, or playful with children. This can include tickling, hugging, play-wrestling, or wanting children to sit on their lap
• Give gifts, special privileges, or attention, and ask the child to keep it a secret
• Make inappropriate remarks to a child
• Comment on a child’s appearance
• Minimize the need for privacy when changing or using the bathroom
• Communicate with a child in private, including over text messages, emails, or via apps or websites
• Seek opportunities to be alone with a child

Red Flags for Female Offenders

While the majority of child predators are male, women may engage in sexual abuse alone or with a male partner. These women may:

• Be in an unhealthy, unstable, or controlling relationship who encourages children to interact with her abusive partner
• Have a “favorite” child whom she gives gifts, privileges, or special attention to
• Be overly touchy, playful, or affectionate with children
• Minimize the need for privacy
• Communicate with children in private
• Seek opportunities to be alone with children

Psychological Effects of Child Grooming

Child grooming and child sex abuse often cause a range of short-term and long-term psychological effects. Short-term mental health issues may include frequent nightmares, age-inappropriate sexual behaviors, withdrawn behavior, depression, and unexplained anger. Long-term psychological effects include post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, increased risk of substance and alcohol abuse, and increased risk of eating disorders.

How Can I Report a Child Predator?

If you believe a child is being sexually abused or groomed, it is important to take immediate action. Make sure you collect and maintain any evidence indicating grooming or abuse, including emails, text messages, photos, or social media activity. Next, contact a law enforcement agency. You can report evidence of child sex abuse through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line. You can also submit a report to the National Child Abuse Hotline by calling or texting 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453).

How Can I Protect My Child From Grooming?

Child sex abuse and grooming is an unsettlingly common problem that affects roughly one in four girls and one in thirteen boys before the age of 18, according to the CDC.

As parents, you can take preventative steps by being involved in your child’s day-to-day life by:

• Asking questions and taking interest in their daily activities, their feelings, and their interactions with the people in their life
• Encouraging them to identify and speak up when something is wrong by teaching them how to draw clear and explicit boundaries and refuse to consent when something feels uncomfortable. Parents should also help children talk about their bodies and understand what the appropriate expressions of affection look like
• Keeping tabs on your child’s online activity
• Staying vigilant and mindful of your child’s body language around any individual, whether a family member or an acquaintance
• Reassuring them that they will never get in trouble for talking to you or consulting a professional mental health specialist

Additional ways to prevent child grooming include carefully choosing caregivers, getting to know your child’s teachers, coaches, and other people in their lives, and knowing the warning signs of child sex abuse and grooming.

Was I Groomed as a Child?

Survivors of grooming and child sex abuse may not realize the true gravity of what happened to them until many years after the incident. Child grooming can leave survivors with negative emotions including guilt, shame, confusion, and self-doubt. Therapy with a licensed professional can help survivors process what happened to them so that they can try to heal from past abuse.

Survivors of grooming and child sexual abuse also have the right to file a civil child sex abuse lawsuit against their abuser as long as the statute of limitations has not expired. By filing a lawsuit against the perpetrator or any third party institutions that enabled the abuse, the survivor can potentially obtain compensation for the trauma resulting from the abuse.

Child Grooming: FAQs

1. What constitutes child grooming?

Child grooming is a federal crime that involves establishing an emotional connection with a child for the purpose of eventual sexual abuse or other sex-related crime. It is also referred to as ‘enticement.’ Many states also have laws prohibiting child grooming.

2. Can a parent groom their child?

Unfortunately, some parents do sexually abuse their children and can be held liable for grooming. However, in many cases of sexual abuse where the child is abused by someone else, including an extended family member, teacher, or coach, the parents are groomed along with the child in order to build trust with the family and gain access to the child.

3. How can a child recover from grooming?

Recovery is a long, tough process for the child as well as the family. Children who have experienced grooming would need an ample amount of love and support. Child sex abuse survivors may benefit from speaking with a licensed mental health professional like a counselor or therapist. The child may also benefit from family therapy or group therapy.

4. Is sexual abuse a personal injury?

Yes, sexual abuse can be grounds for a personal injury claim. The damages caused by sexual abuse are recognized by civil courts.

5. Can you file a civil suit for sexual abuse?

Yes, you can file a civil lawsuit for sex abuse. Survivors who file a civil sex abuse lawsuit may seek compensation for damages, including pain and suffering, mental anguish, relevant medical and therapy bills, and more.

6. What type of trauma is child grooming?

Child grooming causes emotional and psychological trauma. It often advances into child sex abuse which would be considered physical and sexual trauma as well.

7. What do you do when your child is keeping secrets?

If you suspect your child is keeping secrets, it is important to talk to them about the difference between “good” secrets and “bad” secrets. “Good” secrets are ones that will eventually be shared, while “bad” secrets are secrets that make your child feel nervous, uncomfortable, scared, or feel like they cannot share the secret with you. You must assure your child that they should never be scared to open up to you.

8. How do I talk to my child about predators?

You must educate your children about their body parts and boundaries from a young age. Encourage your children to say “no” when physical touch makes them uncomfortable, and remind them that they will not get in trouble for talking about their experiences or asking questions.

9. Why are children reluctant to report sexual abuse?

Due to the deliberate process of grooming, children who are being abused often avoid reporting what is taking place due to a desire to protect their abuser or out of fear they will be betraying them. Children may be confused about what happened, blame themselves, feel exposed, have a misguided sense of reality about their situation, or otherwise fear the repercussions that reporting abuse may have on themself or their loved ones.

10. When should I contact a child sex abuse lawyer?

The parent or guardian of a child who has experienced sexual abuse or grooming should consider contacting a child sexual abuse lawyer who can help your child seek compensation for the trauma endured. Our experienced sex abuse attorneys at Edwards Henderson can help you hold any third parties, including schools, churches, or sports organizations that helped enable the abuse, accountable for the crime.

Do You Suspect Child Sex Abuse? Talk to Our Experienced Child Sex Abuse Lawyers

Survivors of grooming and child sex abuse can pursue justice for the atrocities committed against them by filing a sex abuse lawsuit against the perpetrator as well as any third party that facilitated the crime.

The child sex abuse attorneys at Edwards Henderson are dedicated to advocating on behalf of survivors and are nationally recognized for their success in many sex abuse lawsuits. If you or someone you know has been affected by grooming or child sex abuse, contact us today for a free legal consultation.

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