Online grooming is a term used to describe the tactics abusers deploy through the internet to sexually exploit children. It is a process of exploiting trust to shift expectations of what safe behavior is and leveraging fear and shame to keep a child silent. Grooming can theoretically happen just about anywhere online, as adults seeking to abuse children will go where kids are. Groomers are very skilled at what they do and can often befriend a child by appearing to have the same hobbies and interests as them. They may also seek to manipulate, blackmail, and control the child, potentially isolating them from their friends and family.

Online groomers use fake profiles on social networks to connect with children and pretend to have similar interests, use gifts and compliments to build a relationship with them. They target children on sites and platforms popular with young people, and on social media, they will often target a number of young people at any one time by sending out friend requests to see who responds. Through online forums and online games, they may strike up a conversation to build a relationship with a child and ask them to continue talking on another platform or chat privately.

Signs that characterize child groomers include a person who takes an unusual interest in a child, particularly if the interest is primarily focused on their physical appearance, behavior, or activities; a person who tries to communicate with a child online or in person in secret, outside the knowledge of the childs parents or guardians; a person who attempts to isolate a child from their friends.

It is important to discuss the risks of online grooming with children and to be aware of the signs that a child has been targeted for sexual abuse and other grooming purposes. If you suspect that a child is being groomed online, it is important to report it to the appropriate authorities immediately.