Platforms on which strangers can make contact can potentially be used for online grooming of children, especially if the platform is one that parents don't understand themselves
Online grooming of children by sexual predators is a topic that people hate to think — much less talk — about. For a parent, the idea of an invisible predator lurking in the places their children are supposed to be safe can feel terrifying to the point of overwhelming. But in order to keep kids safe online, it’s essential that parents start explaining online grooming early and repeating the conversation often.
Psychotherapist and author Catherine Knibbs — who works with clients who have experienced trauma online — fears that online grooming of children is more common than most people think. In her practice, she has seen kids as young as under the age of 10 who have been groomed and exploited online. The long-lasting effects, she tells Avast, are “the same as if they were physically abused.”
Knibbs says that any platform where strangers can make contact has the potential to be used for online grooming of children, especially if the platform is one that parents don’t use or understand themselves.
“Discord, for example,” Knibbs says. “It’s a fantastic app — I’m not blaming Discord. But because it’s a place where files can be shared, a perpetrator will likely share an image with the child and ask for an image back.”
Additionally, Knibbs says, children can be quickly moved from one platform to another if it’s in the predator’s interest. For example, if a child is playing PS4 without filters, an adult could come in and mention another platform that’s “cooler.” You ..
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