CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Grooming
Notes:

 

Grooming 

  • the offender prepares the victim for sexual abuse.
  • can often look like normal caring behaviour.
  • parents of victims can also be groomed.
  • can be done in person, on phone / text, online, or combination.
  • manipulate opportunities to be alone with the victim.

Pre teen girls and boys are particularly susceptible - they enjoy the flattery and the feeling of being 'grown up'. 

It’s important to remember that even the grooming process or acts performed as part of the grooming process can be sexual abuse without having to progress any further – and in fact in most Australian jurisdictions it’s an offence to groom or procure a child for sexual abuse. 

The In Safe Hands, Level 6 - Identifying Grooming behaviours course, explores this topic in depth.

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Information:

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As we said earlier, there doesn’t need to be any actual contact for sexual abuse to take place. Let’s look now at some of the ways children can be sexually abused without the offender laying a hand on them.

But first let’s take a quick look at grooming because quite often non-contact sexual abuse forms part of the grooming process. 

Grooming is a process where the offender prepares the victim for sexual abuse. Sometimes grooming can look like normal caring behaviour and isn’t obvious until looking back on it after the abuse has happened. It can be anything that an offender does to make it possible and easier for them to sexually abuse their victim.

Examples:

  • develop friendship with child and parents.
  • give gifts and say nice things.
  • help out with babysitting or transporting.
  • may use children as a ‘cover’ – so for example they might offer to take all children to the movies and then sit with the victim for an opportunity to carry out abuse.
  • expose the victim “accidentally” to nudity, sexual material, or sexual acts so they are desensitised and more compliant when contact abuse starts.
  • making physical contact that becomes more and more sexual – eg tickling, wrestling etc
  • might start with “innocent” physical contact such as tickling and play wrestling that can easily become sexual yet be explained away if necessary.
  • having inappropriate boundaries – eg sympathise with children about problems with parents, or tell child about their own personal problems. 
  • find out about something a child doesn’t want their parents knowing about and use it to force them to keep the secret of the abuse.

If the offender is a relative or good Family Friend, or in a trusted position like Teacher, Tutor, or Coach, then it’s often even easier for them to groom their victims. 

In recent times there has been an increase in females (Teachers, Coaches, Tutors, Family Friends) grooming young children in particular boys. It still is one of the most underreported crimes. There has also been an increase in the number of reported offences of sexual abuse by females against young girls especially early teens.