Information on the impact and prevalence of sexual grooming from our friends at Helping Survivors

Sexual grooming is a process used by child predators to build trusting relationships that they can exploit for sexual abuse. An untold number of children each year are targeted by grooming each year.

Helping Survivors is here to help you understand the impact and prevalence of sexual grooming. Learn about the signs, stages, and long-term effects of grooming, along with practical preventive measures.

Discover how and where to report grooming incidents and find resources for support. Empower survivors and their families to recognize, confront, and heal from the trauma of sexual grooming.

Unlike the sensationalized portrayals in films and the media, the perpetrators of sexual grooming operate quietly, targeting the vulnerable and exploiting their trust. However, increased media coverage of sexual grooming, high-profile legal cases involving famous individuals and institutions, online activism campaigns, hashtag movements, and survivor testimonials have all raised awareness of sexual grooming and its devastating impact on victims.

While there’s been progress in addressing sexual grooming through tougher penalties for perpetrators and improved support systems for survivors, it remains a widespread problem that requires ongoing efforts to address. At Helping Survivors, we work to support and advocate for victims of sexual grooming as they pursue justice.

What Is Sexual Grooming?

Sexual grooming refers to the process in which individuals build emotional connections with potential victims. These actions serve to gain victims’ trust and manipulate them into engaging in sexual activities. Predators employ various tactics to establish control, exploit vulnerabilities, and maintain secrecy. Understanding the dynamics of grooming is crucial to combat this insidious behavior effectively.

Who Is at Risk? Whom Does It Most Affect?

Anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background, can be a target of sexual grooming. However, children and young adults are particularly vulnerable due to their innocence, trust, and limited life experience. They are least likely to recognize the signs of sexual grooming.

Predators often seek out those who may be emotionally or socially isolated, lacking supportive relationships, or experiencing personal difficulties. Groomers aim to exploit victims for their own gratification by preying on vulnerability.

It’s estimated that one in four girls and one in 13 boys in the United States are victims of child sexual abuse at some point. In many cases, sexual abuse begins as grooming. With the internet being ever-present in children’s lives, predators often find victims they know personally and strangers online.

Grooming still happens to children by people they know and trust; however, online predators are a growing concern today. The FBI warns that there are more than 50,000 predators online daily.

The most common victims of online sexual grooming are females between the ages of 12 and 15. While this is true, any child of any gender and age is at risk of being groomed. Additionally, the perpetrators (groomers) can be adults of any sex and age.

If you are not sure where to turn, RAINN can help.

Call 800-656-HOPE (4673) to talk confidentially with a trained professional from RAINN. They can put you in touch with local resources and organizations that can help in your healing journey.