Summary
Highlights
Grooming is the set of actions an adult takes to gain the friendship and trust of a minor with the aim of obtaining sexually explicit images or videos, sometimes leading to physical contact and sexual abuse. A 2019 report revealed that 21.45% of surveyed individuals, with an average age of 15, had experienced grooming, mostly by strangers.
Aggressors typically use fake profiles, often with photos of young people similar in age to their victims, to build trust. They share common interests, offer gifts, and their main goal is to obtain sexual proof (photos/videos) which they then use for blackmail. Contact is usually made via social media friend requests, video game chats, or through personal information found in email addresses. It's advisable not to include personal data in emails.
Grooming involves several phases: the initiation phase (adult contacts minor to build trust), the relationship consolidation phase (deepening personal information and intimate confessions), the sexual phase (requesting sexual acts or images), the cyberbullying phase (threatening to expose sexual material if the minor refuses), and finally, abuse and sexual aggression (leading to physical contact and sexual abuse due to threats).
The psychological damage to victims is immense, causing anxiety, depression, phobias, social and emotional problems, guilt, and shame. To prevent grooming, adults must educate minors on safe internet use: never accept requests from strangers or meet them, be wary of people online, don't use webcams with strangers, cover webcams when not in use, ensure photos shared are appropriate, delete/don't share sexual content, keep social media private, never give in to blackmail, save evidence if harassed, and report any problems to a trusted adult or authorities. If a case is detected, support the minor, seek psychological help, and file a complaint.
Grooming is penalized under article 183 of the penal code with 1 to 3 years of imprisonment and fines. The penalties are more severe if the approach involves coercion, intimidation, or deception. Grooming can also lead to other serious crimes like child pornography, blackmail, sexual assault, or sexual abuse, all carrying prison sentences.