3.5 A model of the grooming process

Research has helped to identify a number of phases in the grooming process for sexual purposes.

One model below breaks the process down into six main stages (Hartill, 2018):

• Stage 1: Targeting the victim
• Stage 2: Gaining trust
• Stage 3: Meeting a victim’s need
• Stage 4: Isolating the victim
• Stage 5: Sexualising the relationship
• Stage 6: Maintaining control and secrecy

Next, you will examine this process in more detail.