Grooming: sexual harassment of minors on the Internet | Diseases and conditions
Easy access and anonymity afforded
Internet has allowed the emergence of grooming or sexual abuse of minors
through the network. Teach your children to avoid it and to report it from the first indication.
It grooming is a form of child abuse, or sexual abuse of minors by adults, but in this case the harassment of children and adolescents is carried out via the Internet - although it may finally lead to a personal encounter - and is favored by the accessibility and anonymity provided by the network.
The pederast creates a virtual profile false where he pretends to be a minor friendship with other minors who subsequently harass. To get what he wants cajoles and convinces its victims to send you personal data and even images or compromising videos. Sometimes steals their passwords to access the information you need to blackmail the harassed, threatening to make public certain information if it does not access your wishes directly.
The possession of personal data, blackmail and anonymity are the weapons used by the pedophile; Therefore, to prevent situations of harassment it is fundamental not to make public private information over the Internet and immediately report any behavior indicating a possible attempt at coercion. However, the victims of these virtual sexual predators are very vulnerable because they are at a stage of life in which his personality is forming, and is very common that they do not denounce the harassment by fear or shame.
Experts warn that the number of cases of grooming that unreported is very high, making it impossible to determine how many children or adolescents are suffering sexual harassment over the Internet. Follow these tips help to prevent this phenomenon, or to address it from the first signs:
Published for educational purposes
It grooming is a form of child abuse, or sexual abuse of minors by adults, but in this case the harassment of children and adolescents is carried out via the Internet - although it may finally lead to a personal encounter - and is favored by the accessibility and anonymity provided by the network.
The pederast creates a virtual profile false where he pretends to be a minor friendship with other minors who subsequently harass. To get what he wants cajoles and convinces its victims to send you personal data and even images or compromising videos. Sometimes steals their passwords to access the information you need to blackmail the harassed, threatening to make public certain information if it does not access your wishes directly.
The possession of personal data, blackmail and anonymity are the weapons used by the pedophile; Therefore, to prevent situations of harassment it is fundamental not to make public private information over the Internet and immediately report any behavior indicating a possible attempt at coercion. However, the victims of these virtual sexual predators are very vulnerable because they are at a stage of life in which his personality is forming, and is very common that they do not denounce the harassment by fear or shame.
How to prevent and curb the grooming
Experts say that most of the victims do not report the grooming by fear or shame, so the actual number of children affected is unknownExperts warn that the number of cases of grooming that unreported is very high, making it impossible to determine how many children or adolescents are suffering sexual harassment over the Internet. Follow these tips help to prevent this phenomenon, or to address it from the first signs:
- Parents should stay alert to detect this type of violence against children. It is important that they know social networks and teach their children to set limits on its use.
- Take care to maximize privacy, and not to disclose personal information or images that we do not want made public, to prevent the stalker to get data allowing you to start the blackmail.
- Protect computers and passwords so as to compromise sensitive data can be stolen.
- If the predator has already begun the harassment, not entering the game, not provided by new data or, of course, access to a face-to-face appointment.
- Immediately request the assistance of a trusted adult.
- Check if the stalker has managed to access the computer or have the personal key of the victim to eliminate the possibility that get new elements to threaten the child as soon as possible.
- Try to collect evidence on which to indict the pedophile (messages, conversations, screenshots...) and go to the police, because this type of criminals are repeat offenders, and it is very common that they are harassing several children at once, by which a single complaint can help many victims.
Published for educational purposes
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