signs to spot

Any child is at risk of being groomed.

It’s important to remember that both boys and girls can be groomed.

Some children are more at risk of grooming, particularly those who are vulnerable. Children in care, with disabilities or who are neglected can be targeted by groomers.

Groomers will exploit any vulnerability to increase the likelihood a child or young person will become dependent on them and less likely to speak out.

It can be difficult to tell if a child is being groomed – the signs aren’t always obvious and may be hidden. Older children might behave in a way that seems to be “normal” teenage behaviour, masking underlying problems.

Some of the signs you might see include:

• being very secretive about how they’re spending their time, including when online
• having an older boyfriend or girlfriend
• having money or new things like clothes and mobile phones that they can’t or won’t explain
• underage drinking or drug taking
• spending more or less time online or on their devices
• being upset, withdrawn or distressed
• sexualised behaviour, language or an understanding of sex that’s not appropriate for their age
• spending more time away from home or going missing for periods of time