• The child or young person is targeted. While any child can be sexually abused, some perpetrators may target children that are particularly vulnerable. For example, children and young people that are socially isolated or are part of a marginalised social, economic, racial or cultural group.
• Building trust. Perpetrators often present as trustworthy, reputable, generous, and likeable, and may build a child or young person’s trust through special attention or gifts. In some situations, whole families or organisations can be groomed as a result of the perceived trustworthiness of a perpetrator.
• Isolation. Perpetrators may progressively isolate a child or young person from supportive family and friends, and may seek to fill roles in a child or young person’s life that provide practical or emotional support.
• Sexualisation. Perpetrators may gradually introduce sexualised content or discussions to a child or young person in order to normalise this behaviour. They will often then exploit this to encourage or coerce the child to engage in sexual activity, produce child sexual abuse imagery or participate in sexualised in-person or virtual chats. This behaviour may escalate slowly or quickly.
• Control. Perpetrators often use secrecy, shame, blame, coercion and threats to maintain control in order to perpetuate the abuse and ensure the child or young person’s silence.

SIGNS TO WATCH OUT FOR 

• developing an unusually close connection with an older person
• having gifts or money from new friends or someone that they cannot account for
• being very secretive about their phone, internet or social media use
• going missing for long periods of time
• appearing extremely tired, including at school
• being dishonest about who they have been with and where they have been
• substance misuse
• assuming a new name, having false identification, a stolen passport or driver licence, or a new phone
• being collected from school by an older or new friend

TIPS TO KEEP THEM SAFE

• understand safe and unsafe behaviours and situations, including being able to identify early warning signs and their body's natural reactions when they feel unsafe, worried, or scared. These may include feeling butterflies, and having sweaty palms and a racing pulse
• practice safe online behaviour, including deleting and blocking requests and messages from people they don't know, and reviewing and updating privacy settings
• know what to do and who to talk to if something feels uncomfortable, as well as what support services are available if they are unsure or if something has happened
• say no to requests to engage in unsafe behaviors or sexual advances
• block unsafe users, make a complaint to social media companies and report online grooming
• understand body boundaries, respectful relationships and consent
• feel safe and protected when disclosing what is happening to them.