prevent online
grooming of children

KNOW THE SIGNS

  • Remind children to only interact online and on gaming apps with people they know and trust in the real world.

  • Let children tell you about what they love about their games and online lives, and allow them to enjoy all that is good about apps, games and online, which makes a conversation about the concerns of online grooming easier to have.

  • Warn children to not accept gaming dollars (E.G. V-bucks for the game “Fortnite”) from people they don’t know and trust. Predators will later come back and say “now you owe me”.

  • Review which location markers are visible on children’s devices, and remove any except the essential ones. Consider products to help with this, which can also monitor some – but not all – of your children’s activity.

  • Reduce shame in conversations with children. If they have shared CSAM (Child Sexual Abuse Material) of themselves, they were manipulated in order to do so. Shame is a method traffickers use to further manipulate, so be supportive instead of blaming the child.

  • Make sure you know and your child knows what to do if they find themselves in a exploitation situation, and that there are organizations like NCMEC who can help.

  • Spend “device-free” time with your family to boost everyone’s serotonin levels, and help children feel good without needing to get “likes” on social media.

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