Child grooming
1651190
222872980
2008-07-01T15:02:51Z
Blanchardb
5311630
Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/82.69.61.253|82.69.61.253]] to last version by 212.159.90.246 (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]])
{{Merge|child sexual abuse|date=September 2007}}
{{Otheruses4|the act of befriending and influencing a child with the intent of sexually abusing the child|grooming to improve appearance or hygiene|Personal grooming}}
'''Child grooming''', in the context of this article, refers to actions deliberately undertaken with the aim of befriending and establishing an emotional connection with a [[child]], in order to lower the child's inhibitions in preparation for [[child sexual abuse|sexual abuse]] of the child.
==Overview==
The deliberate actions taken by an adult to form a trusting relationship with a child, with the intent of later having sexual contact is known as '''child grooming'''. The act of grooming a child sexually may include activities that are legal in and of themselves, but later lead to sexual contact. Typically, this is done to gain the child's trust as well as the trust of those responsible for the child's well-being. Furthermore, research {{Fact|date=June 2007}} has shown children are less likely to report a crime if it involves someone that he or she knows, trusts, and cares about. Additionally, a trusting relationship with the family means the child's parents will be less likely to believe any potential accusations.
<ref>[http://www.safenetwork.co.nz/Downloads/Ending%20Offending%20Together.pdf Ending Offending Together]</ref>
===Examples of grooming activities===
* Taking an undue interest in someone's child (having a "special" friend)
* Giving gifts or money to the child for no apparent reason
* [[disseminating pornography to a minor|Showing pornography to the child]] (illegal in many jurisdictions)
* Talking about sexual topics that are not age-appropriate
* Invading the child's privacy (e.g. walking in on him/her in the bathroom)
* Hugging, kissing, or other physical contact even when the child does not want this attention
* Allowing the child to get away with inappropriate behavior
* Talking to the child about problems that would normally be discussed with adults (e.g. marital problems)<ref>[http://stopitnow.org/warnings.html Warning Signs About Child Sexual Abuse]</ref><ref>[http://www.liberatedfromabuse.com/grooming.html Grooming - Common tactics of sexual abusers]</ref><ref>[http://www.safenetwork.co.nz/Downloads/Ending%20Offending%20Together.pdf Ending Offending Together]</ref>
===Child grooming over the Internet===
Child sex abusers find the internet an easier place to take part in a variety of child sexual abuse activity including contact with children due to the anonymity of the medium.
Sexual grooming of children also occurs on the [[Internet]]. Some abusers will pose as children online and make arrangements to meet with them in person. According to a 2003 New Zealand study, 23% of 7-10 year olds and 37% of those 16 or older reported meeting someone face to face that they met over the Internet.<ref>[http://www.youth2000.ac.nz New Zealand Youth: A profile of their health and well being]</ref>
In [[2003]], [[MSN]] implemented restrictions in their [[chat room]]s to help protect children from adults seeking sexual conversations with them. In [[2005]], [[Yahoo!]] chat rooms were investigated by the [[New York|New York State]] attorney general's office for allowing users to create rooms whose names suggested that they were being used for this purpose. That October, Yahoo! agreed to "implement policies and procedures designed to ensure" that such rooms would not be allowed.<ref>[http://www.oag.state.ny.us/press/2005/oct/Yahoo.pdf Letter agreement dated Oct. 7, 2005, signed by Yahoo! general counsel Michael Callahan]</ref>
An organization called [[Perverted-Justice]] (known as PJ) specializes in capturing persons who solicit PJ operatives posing as underage teens. [[To Catch a Predator]] is an on-running series on the television show [[Dateline NBC]] based on documenting such activities.
An organization called Crisp Thinking has created a service intended to identify grooming and warn parents, allowing them to install software that studies chat room and other [[Instant messaging]] logs for activity they have determined may identify grooming or other potentially suspicious activities. It has also adapted its technology to social networking services and ISPs.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6265494.stm The 'anti-child grooming' website]</ref><ref>[http://www.techcentral.ie/article.aspx?id=11563 Clipstar uses Anti-Grooming Engine to identify dangerous conversations<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref><ref>[http://www.crispthinking.com/corporate/ Crisp - Home<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
Another software company in the UK has developed a program that hold as competitor to Crisp, called [http://www.sentryparentalcontrols.co.uk/ Sentry Parental Controls]. It was launched by television personality Coleen Nolan and is supported by Mark Williams-Thomas, a leading expert in child protection.<ref>[http://www.sentryparentalcontrols.co.uk/ Sentry Parental Controls Web Site]</ref>
==Criminal offences==
===General===
In its report, ''Protection of Children Against Abuse Through New Technologies'', the [[Council of Europe]] [[Cybercrime Convention]] Committee [http://www.coe.int/T/E/Legal_affairs/Legal_co-operation/Combating_economic_crime/6_Cybercrime/T-CY/(T-CY%20_2006_%2003%20-%20e%20-%20Protection%20of%20children%20against%20abuse%20_205).pdf] addressed the emerging issues of violence against children through the use of new technologies (the issue of [[child pornography]] on the [[Internet]] is already covered by Article 9 Convention) with particular reference to grooming both through the internet and by [[mobile telephone]]s.
Some States have already criminalized grooming in their national legislation.
===Australia===
[[Australia]]n Criminal Code Act 1995 section 474.26 and 474.27 prohibits the use of a "carrier service" to communicate with the intent to procure a person under the age of 16, or expose such a person to any indecent matter for the purposes of grooming.
The various states and territories have similar laws, some of which use a different age (for example the victim need only be under 18 in Queensland).
===Canada===
In [[Canada]], Criminal Code section 172.1 makes it an offence to communicate with a child through a computer system for the purpose of committing a sexual offence (termed "luring a child").
===United Kingdom===
In [[England]] and [[Wales]], sections 14 and 15 of the [[Sexual Offences Act 2003]] make it an offence to arrange a meeting with a child, for oneself or someone else, with the intent of [[child sexual abuse|sexually abusing]] the child. The meeting itself is also criminalized.<ref>[http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/acts/acts2003/30042--b.htm#15 Act of the U.K. Parliament; Sexual Offences Act 2003, section 15]</ref>
The [[Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005]]<ref>[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/legislation/scotland/acts2005/20050009.htm Act of the Scottish Parliament; Protection of Children and Prevention of Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2005, 2005 asp 9.]</ref> introduced similar provision for Scotland.
Thus, a crime may be committed even without the actual meeting taking place and without the child being involved in the meeting (for example, if a police officer has taken over the contact and pretends to be that child). In ''R v T'' (2005) EWCA Crim 2681, the appellant, aged 43, had pretended to befriend a nine-year-old girl, but had done very little with her before she became suspicious and reported his approaches. He had a number of previous convictions (including one for [[rape]]) and was described as a "relentless, predatory [[pedophilia|pedophile]]". The [[Court of Appeal of England and Wales|Court of Appeal]] upheld a longer than commensurate [[sentence (law)|sentence]] of eight years' imprisonment with an extended licence period of two years.
===United States===
In the [[United States]], {{UnitedStatesCode|18|2425}} makes it an offense to transmit information about a person below the age of 18 for the purpose of committing a [[sex crimes|sexual offense]]. Some states have additional statutes covering seducing a child online, such as the [[Florida]] law that makes "Use of a Computer to Seduce a Child" a [[felony]] (ironically authored by then Florida state Senator [[Mark Foley]], who as a Congressman authored the federal law against child grooming and resigned from office due to allegations of grooming and sexual harassment of underaged males).
==References==
<references />
==External links==
*[http://www.uclan.ac.uk/host/cru/docs/NewCyberStalking.pdf University of Central Lancashire, Cyberspace Research Unit, "Cyber Stalking, Abusive Cyber Sex And Online Grooming: A Programme Of Education For Teenagers" (2004)]
*[http://www.nspcc.org.uk/home/needadvice/protectingchildrenfromsexualabuse.htm Protecting Children from Sexual Abuse]
*[http://www.vachss.com/guest_dispatches/grooming.html Grooming Children for Sexual Molestation], written by Gregory M. Weber, the Assistant Attorney General for the State of Wisconsin who specializes in the prosecution of crimes committed against children.
*[http://www.lfcc.on.ca/tipping.htm How Children Tell About Child Sexual Abuse] a study of the disclosure process in over 500 cases including the role of grooming in delaying disclosure
* [http://www.liberatedfromabuse.com/crime.html Child Grooming Could Land You in Jail] More on grooming at Liberated From Abuse
* [http://www.packet-level.com/kids/index.html Internet Safety for Kids] (A presentation for adults to promote awareness of Internet-based child sexual abuse) Includes materials you can use to present this in your communities.
* [http://www.mysecurecyberspace.com/encyclopedia/index/online-grooming.html Online Grooming], Encyclopedia of Risks and Threats, [[MySecureCyberspace]]
[[Category:Child sexual abuse]]
[[Category:Pedophilia]]
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