Social Media Safety / Glossary

Online grooming

Online grooming is when someone builds a friendly, trusting relationship with a child or teen online so they can manipulate, exploit or abuse them.

Groomers often seem kind at first. They give lots of compliments, gifts or game items, say they understand you better than anyone, and may pretend to be younger than they are.

Over time the pattern changes: they ask you to keep things secret, try to move the chat to a private app, turn you against friends or family, and push for photos or meetings.

If a chat feels like this, stop replying, save screenshots, block and report the account, and tell a trusted adult. It is never the young person's fault, and they won't be in trouble for telling.