UNITED STATES
Child Protection News
Written on March 30, 2012 by Patrick Noaker
8 minutes. Researchers discover sexual predators “groom” children for sex online in just 8 minutes. In an article in the Irish Independent newspaper, researchers at Middlesex University in London revealed that online predators appear to be much more aggressive in the way that they approach children in cyberspace. The study found that online sexual predators “cut to the chase” and turn online chat conversations with children to sexual topics within 3 minutes of meeting the child. In addition, the study showed that a bond was formed between the child and the predator just 5 minutes later, often leading to a sexual exchange of information, sexual photographs and even online sexual activity.
This information is significant because previous beliefs that there was a period of grooming by sexual predators may be inaccurate in an online setting. Historically, sexual predators engaged in a period of trust-building with a child victim where the predator would have secrets with the child, give gifts or build an emotional bond with the child. Knowing this, parents took some comfort in believing that their supervision would lead to discovery and termination of any inappropriate relationship involving their child before the relationship turned sexual. It appears that this grooming grace period simply does not exist online. This leaves parents without time to intercept predators before they can exploit our kids.
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