Because we never know for sure who’s a sexual predator, it’s important that we know the signs of when one is “grooming” a child. Parents, grandparents, guardians, teachers, parishioners, neighbors–any of us adults who have children we care for and want to look out for…we all need to know the signs so we can keep our children safe.
Here’s a list of the basic steps a predator takes in the grooming process. For an explanation of each, read the single-page fact sheet Behaviors of Sexual Predators: Grooming.
- Targeting the victim.
- Gaining the child’s trust.
- Filling a need.
- Isolating the child.
- Sexualizing the interaction.
- Maintaining control.
Six steps. That’s all it takes to ensnare a child.
One step–our intervention–is all it takes to save a child.