Online sexual grooming is the act of building up a trusted and emotional relationship with a minor (under 16 years old), usually with the purpose of tricking, pressuring, or forcing them into doing something sexual, like sending intimate images or videos of themselves. It can take place through online platforms, such as forums, chat groups, and social media or messaging platforms.
How can you identify online sexual grooming?
Your child may be sexually groomed online if you observe that they:
Receive expensive gifts like clothes or mobile phones, which you know they cannot afford
Have excessive amounts of cash that they cannot account for
Use sexual language that you do not expect them to know
Exhibit unusual behaviours such as going to remote places to meet up with friends
Are excessively secretive about their online interactions with others
Are extremely resistant about letting you go through their online conversations
Display unusual traits such as withdrawal, anxiety, depression, aggression, or clinginess
How can you keep your child safe from strangers online?
It is important to remind your child that they should be cautious when interacting with strangers online. Help your child understand that it is impossible to know the real identity of someone when interacting with them online. For example, someone claiming to be the same age as your child may in fact be much older.
You can guide your child to be safe online by advising them to:
Chat and play online games only with friends they already know and have met offline
Exit online conversations and inform a trusted adult immediately when someone makes them uncomfortable, starts asking for their personal information, or wants to meet up with them in person
Chat and play online games only with friends they already know and have met offline
Exit online conversations and inform a trusted adult immediately when someone makes them uncomfortable, starts asking for their personal information, or wants to meet up with them in person
If you suspect that your child is a target of online sexual grooming, you can protect them from further harm by:
Staying calm
Listen carefully to what your child is saying and let them know they have done the right thing by telling you
Creating assurance
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Let your child know that you are there for them and will not be reprimanding them
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Allow them to share the full story before asking any questions
Collecting evidence
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As your child talks you through the sexual grooming situation, collect evidence by taking screenshots of the online interactions between your child and the online predator
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This evidence is crucial for the police as online sexual grooming is a criminal offence under Singapore’s Penal Code (i.e. Section 376E – Offence on Sexual Grooming with Minor Under 16)
Lodging a police report
You should lodge a Police report immediately if you discover that your child has been exposed to online sexual grooming. Click on this link to find out more.
If you suspect that your child is a target of online sexual grooming, you can protect them from further harm by:
Staying calm
Listen carefully to what your child is saying and let them know they have done the right thing by telling you
Creating assurance
-
Let your child know that you are there for them and will not be reprimanding them
-
Allow them to share the full story before asking any questions
Collecting evidence
-
As your child talks you through the sexual grooming situation, collect evidence by taking screenshots of the online interactions between your child and the online predator
-
This evidence is crucial for the police as online sexual grooming is a criminal offence under Singapore’s Penal Code (i.e. Section 376E – Offence on Sexual Grooming with Minor Under 16)
Lodging a police report
You should lodge a Police report immediately if you discover that your child has been exposed to online sexual grooming. Click on this link to find out more.