On the Internet, a large number of children and young people experience sexual harassment and abuse. Cyber grooming is the preparation for these crimes. The cyber criminals search for their victims in popular video games platforms or on TikTok and Snapchat. There, these criminals engage in initially innocent chats with children and young people.After that, they ask them to share images and videos or even arrange a meeting.
According to experts,when an adult person develops an emotional bond with a child through online friendship with the objective of future sexual abuse, exploitation, or trafficking, this is known as cyber grooming. Gaining the child’s trust and obtaining private and personal information often sexual in nature such as sexual discussions, images, or videos are the primary objectives of cyber grooming. This information is then used by cyber criminals to threaten and blackmail the child or young people.
Experts Advice:Never accept friend requests on social media from people you don’t know. These perpetrators can make fake profiles in order to be friends with the victim.Avoid posting private information online,including your address and date of birth,school names, personal phone numbers on social media platforms.Be cautious when strangers compliment your physical appearance, sexual experience, and other sensitive issues within a short period of time.Don’t share images,videos with anybody.They can blackmail you if you share your images or videos.Never go alone to meet someone you met online and tell your parents or other people about it.Don’t install unknown apps.
