11. Sex Offenders & The Internet. Part 2. Grooming Flashcards
What is Harms’ 2007 definition of grooming?
A COMMUNICATION PROCESS by which a perpetrator applies AFFINITY SEEKING strategies, while simultaneously engaging in SEXUAL DESENSITIZATION & INFORMATION ACQUISITION about TARGETED victims in order to develop relationships that result in NEED FULFILLMENT
Points to remember about grooming
Communication can be on or offline
Strategy is a plan of action to achieve an aim
Desensitization often involves showing of CSAM or other sexual material
Victims are often specially targeted based on offender needs / risk / availability
Parents / communities and other adults can also be groomed
Online grooming - safer - easy targeting - hiding identity easier - meet when safe
Describe Rachel O’Connor’s Phases of Grooming
Friendship Forming Stage
Relationship Forming Stage
Risk Assessment Stage
Exclusivity Stage
Sexual Stage
remember they may not be linear - stages may occur together at the same time or in a different order
Think about Finkhlors 4 preconditions to offending
Describe ‘Under His Spell’. Victim’s Perspectives of Being Groomed Online
Whittle, Hamilton-Giachritis, Beech 2014
See photo
Rapid Skill Acquisition & Online Sexual Grooming of Children
Quayle, Sheath, Loof, Allegro & Hutton 2014
See image.
Remember rapid skill acquisition related to how fast offenders become good at targeting children & grooming.
Images can be used for desensitization or sexual gratification or testing compliance
Playing with identities means they may make different identities to enhance the groom (eg. a second persona to go into the same child) - they create bespoke identities to improve the outcome (eg fake age)
Chosing a target based on answers to questions - assessing vulnerability or compliance or fulfil a fantasy
Technology & social media allows opportunities to lie, deceive, gather intelligence about children, contact high numbers of children in one go.
Allows offenders to engage in high rates of purposeful sexual behavior with young people
Why groom? What is the purpose?
- to allow contact offending
- to aid fantasy
- to extort
- to own the sexuality of the child
Not all exchanges are sexual- some enjoy the chat & prelude to sexual contact, some believe they are nurturing & guiding them
Think about differences in situational & preferential offenders re grooming - tie back in with finkhlor & o Connor
