From earliest ages, the youngest of the household begin to use devices with Internet access. These devices give the possibility of evolve to teaching, but they can also imply serious dangers of which we have to be aware of both parents and children.
Internet Grooming
What is Internet Grooming?
Internet Grooming is when an adult deliberately tries to gain affection and attachment of a child, with the only goal of acquiring sexual content using technological media.
In many cases, the adult performing internet grooming can cheat the child impersonating another child, gaining his/her confidence in a fastest way. This process may last weeks or even months in some cases, with the goal of gaining the child’s friendship step by step, as a way to receive compromised content from him/her. Sometimes this content can be gained using threats, with which the adult can blackmail the child so he can get even more content from the child.
Internet Grooming is considered the first steps of sexual abuse, because the ultimate goal of this practice is the sexual satisfaction of the adult.
How can we fight Internet Grooming?
Avoid your photos or personal info being stolen, protect your computer with antivirus, update your software frequently and create strong passwords. On this articles we advice you how to make stronger passwords and to protect your computer against threats.
Avoid uploading images or personal information in social medias, because this way you can be more vulnerable against strangers.
Never yield against blackmail, because it would only worsen the child’s condition. Also it would improve the abuser status, giving him/her a greater sugestion power.
In case information was already stolen (images, videos or any other sort of data), ask help to an trustable adult or somebody prepared for this kind of situations (fathers, teachers, cops...)
Reduce the abuser power, restricting the possibility of this situation happening again. Make a deep clean of the device, removing the malware it may have and changing the passwords, in a more secure way if possible.
Gather every evidence you can use to demonstrate this crime, make screen captures, conversations, messages... everything that can prove it.
At last, make a complaint to the authorities, it’s the only way to avoid this abuser to continue harassing the child or making the same practices to another child.
