Child Grooming: 7 Most Common Behaviors to Look Out For
A California “Teacher Of The Year” was accused of child sexual abuse in March of 2023. To obtain the trust of the alleged victim, the teacher allegedly groomed the student and then committed several acts of child sexual abuse.
By being aware of what grooming is and how to protect against it, you can protect your child from grooming and other sexually abusive acts. But, if grooming has already taken place, you should contact a California child sexual abuse attorney today.
What Is Child Grooming?
Child Grooming is a set of behaviors that individuals perform to gain the trust of children and, in some cases, their parents/guardians.
The purpose of grooming, beyond its function as a means of gaining trust, is to control the child that has been groomed and their relationship with the child.
By controlling the child and their relationship with the child, they can engage in a sexual relationship with them. Due to their control of the child and the relationship, they can do so with no repercussions.
Rather than going to their parents or the authorities, a child who has been groomed will often feel that doing so is wrong. This is because a groomer deliberately seeks to create these feelings within the child so that they can avoid repercussions for their actions.
The Most Common Child Grooming Behaviors
The act of grooming is, in and of itself, a set of behaviors. Each one of these behaviors serves the same basic purpose: gaining a child’s trust and then using that trust to control them.
To achieve this purpose, there are seven behaviors that almost every groomer relies upon. These seven behaviors have been identified by the National Center for Victims of Crime and are as follows:
- Identifying and then targeting the child the groomer intends to victimize.
- Gaining the victim’s trust and then gaining access to them.
- Playing a helpful role in the child’s life.
- Isolating the child – emotionally, if not physically – from their friends and family.
- Creating and then maintaining security around their relationship.
- Initiating sexual contact with the child.
- Controlling the relationship with the child.
Every single one of the actions outlined above is common to groomers. Each one of these actions is used to satisfy their agenda, which is, of course, always at the expense of the child who is being victimized.
How Can You Protect Your From Grooming?
A parent can protect their child from grooming in a variety of ways. Some of the most notable ways that they can accomplish this task are as follows:
- Maintain a close eye on your child’s communications.
- Prevent the person you feel is grooming your child from being alone with your child.
- Report your claim to local law enforcement or another authoritative body.
- Ask your child how they feel around the person you believe is grooming them.
- Going over the warning signs of child sexual abuse with your child.
- Discussing the importance of consent and how, as a child under the age of 18, they cannot legally consent.
None of these actions can fully prevent grooming or any other form of sexual abuse. But they can give your child the ability to understand what may be happening.
Outside of those actions, the best thing you can do to protect your child from grooming is to listen to them and let them know that you are there for them and that if they need help, you will help them.
Speak With A Child Sexual Abuse Attorney
Every victim of child sex abuse is entitled to justice. If you’re from San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, or anywhere in California, speak with our California child sexual abuse attorney at Beck Law P.C. today, and we will assist you in obtaining the justice that you and/or your child are entitled to.
