Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE)
6. The Nature of Grooming
Regardless of the nature of the sexual exploitation, one feature is consistent: in order to ensure the child or young person complies, the perpetrator will 'groom' them.
This is when an offender who wants to sexually exploit a young person isn't upfront about their intentions. They take time to make the young person, and sometimes their family, trust them.
Grooming:
- Can take a short time or can take many months of preparation
- Can involve the young person's parents
- Can be either online or in person
- Is a very clever, often well practised, process