Grooming is a technique used by child sex offenders to get in touch with children with the goal of obtaining sexual contact. With the advent of the internet the prevalence of online grooming has increased.

A recent poll suggests that almost 60% of children used social networking sites to help combat loneliness, while 53% used them to share their problems. This can then make them a very vulnerable target whereby a new ‘friend’ can seem a very understanding and a sympathetic ear for the child.

Child sex offenders will often deceive the child by pretending to be a child too, typically lurking around chat rooms used by children to watch interactions and gain access to vulnerable targets. They may slowly reveal they are older once the child has become emotionally involved.

Jo Bryce, from the Cyberspace Research Unit at the University of Central Lancashire, explains that while older children are most likely to be victims of so-called online ‘grooming’ - younger children are also at risk. "Offenders use cunning to identify vulnerable children, pretend to like the things they like and try to win their trust over time "she says.

The likelihood of a child being groomed is extremely low, however the risk is there and children need to be protected. Safeguarding technology, such as web filtering and text monitoring software, can help, but educating children on how to use the internet safely is key.

In much the same way that children are taught ‘Stranger Danger’ whilst alone in public we should teach them that they should exercise this practice whilst online too. They should not be lulled into a false sense of security just because they are online.