The Most Obvious Signs of Grooming that Parents Need to Recognize

We hear a lot about child grooming on TV, over the internet, but we do not take it seriously at all. Most parents are in the misconception that their kid cannot be the victim of such a thing and there is nothing to worry about.

Adults are so sure that their children are safe and sound. However, the most heartbreaking reality is that the greatest dangers are not caused by strangers but often by people we already know.

Anyone can be a child groomer, family, friend, neighbor, or even the babysitter of the child. This is the main reason, it is important to recognize the grooming behavior in sex offenders, and prevent the child from being harassed.

What is Child Grooming?

Grooming is a term referred to as when an adult is trying to establish a trusting relationship with a child to abuse them sexually. It can happen both online or in real life. It can be conducted by a stranger as well as a known individual.

Most of the groomers use manipulative behaviors to befriend the kids, gain their trust, and try to move them away from their families. They even start abusing the kid. It is a way of building a connection with the minor that takes maximum effort.

They follow such a strategy that once a victim is targeted, a groomer will fulfill their plan and won’t give up at any cost. The early parents detect the signs of predator grooming, the greater chances they have to save their child.

Child Grooming Statistics in the U.S

• The child abuse rate in the U.S. is highest in some regions like Alaska Native — 15.2 cases per 1000 victims.
• Around 158,900 of the children are aged from 2–8 years old.
• Neglection is the most common child abuse- around 411,969 cases in the country.

The Signs of Recognizing the Predators

If grooming is very common these days, why are the parents not able to identify them? The main reason is that the abuser usually uses the classic child-abusing techniques that work for them. Specialists classify the grooming techniques in these parts

1. Targeting the victim

Predators usually choose the vulnerable kids who have experienced emotional and vulnerable situations.

2. Gain the trust

At this time, groomers take their step towards gaining the child’s trust and becoming one of the close people in their life. They start gathering information regarding them.

3. Filling the child’s needs

When they finally gain trust and start befriending, the predators take the opportunity to their advantage.

4. Isolating the child

Groomer tries to deprive the victim of the support to reinforce their relationship with a kid. So they try to spend one on one time as frequently as possible.

5. Giving relation sexual comfort

When trust is gained, groomers start to sexualize the relation with the child. they show explicit images and talk on sexual topics. Once they create such situations, they perform their first conduct.

6. Controlling the victim

In this stage, a controller takes full charge of the kid’s life.

How to Prevent Child Grooming

The first and foremost thing is the child grooming signs. You need to keep a check on your child. You should always remember if your kid meets someone new, like neighbors, teachers, coaches, or anyone who is engaged in your child’s life.

You must develop a trusting relationship with your child. Gain your child’s trust, so that they tell you everything.

You can even keep an eye on your child’s online activity and monitor it using a parental control app like Phone Agent 007. It will give a complete online insight into your child’s life. You can even capture evidence regarding the online abuse faced by your child.

Conclusion

If a child goes through such a situation, there is very little possibility they understand what’s going on. However, it is very tough to identify the groomer when it comes to online communication.

Predators even pretend to be soulmates or very close ones who understand what bothers your child. If they fail at once and do until their motive is achieved.

They can also be child molesters, who seek potential victims. So it is very important for parents to monitor their children’s smartphone activity with a parental control app like Phone Agent 007.

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