-- What is child grooming? It’s the process when a predator tries to build a relationship with a child with the ultimate goal of sexual abuse. This abuse can include:
-- Taking sexual photos
-- Sending sexual messages
-- Sextortion
-- In-person sexual abuse/assault
-- Trafficking

The Typical Grooming Process:

Targeting:
Predators often set their sights on vulnerable children — kids who may be emotionally fragile or have less parental oversight. Still, children of any gender, family situation, and socioeconomic status can be victims of grooming. The process of grooming is a purposefully slow one, as predators methodically take steps to build relationships with children and gain their trust.

Engaging:
Getting a child to completely trust them is the predator’s main goal in this stage. The adult might also try to connect with their victim by paying them compliments or buying gifts.

Boundary testing and isolating:
The predator will attempt to deepen the relationship and gauge the level of threat from the parents. They might ask questions to see how closely the child’s devices are monitored.

Abuse:
This stage culminates in sexual activity. While some predators might attempt to meet their victims in person, others carry out their sexual abuse entirely online.

How to protect your child:
-- Encourage your child to be “share aware” by talking openly about what they’re doing online and who they’re talking to.
-- Create a family environment where your child feels safe talking about difficult topics.
-- Monitoring texts, emails, and social media platforms. Bark can alert you if your child encounters sexual content online.

Above all, make sure your child knows they are not at fault for anything inappropriate an adult says or does to them.
You’re there to help and protect them — not punish them for a predator’s actions.

Visit https://www.bark.us to learn more about how we can help and start your free, one-week trial.