Q940: What do I do if I suspect a child is being groomed?

Grooming can occur face to face or over the internet and involves any communication with a child in order to commit a sexual offence. The individual does this by forming an emotional bond with the child to gain their trust - this can then lead to the offence of child sexual exploitation (CSE) being committed.

If a child is being groomed they may display unusual behaviours which you need to look out for; these may include -

• becoming anxious or clingy
• change in eating habits
• self harm/suicidal
• taking drugs or alcohol
• missing school

If you are concerned about a child, you can contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000 or you can report it directly to them via the following link -
https://www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do/report-abuse/

For further support and advice on grooming and CSE , please see the links in related information.