How do perpetrators gain the trust of child victims?
Grooming is a very common technique perpetrators use; generally a person starts a relationship with a child or teenager with the intention of sexually abusing them. Often times the abuser entices the victim with the simple pleasures of just being noticed and in a relationship with an adult where that adult is giving the child a lot of positive attention. The person in power may give the child/teenager gifts; they may begin asking the person to keep secrets about small things with the intention of preparing the young person to then keep a larger secret. Also the touching may start in a way that feels vaguely confusing for a child like tickling or hugging. This is why it is especially important to teach your child the difference between secrecy and privacy. Secrets need to be limited to birthday and Christmas presents while privacy is has to do with the child’s right to have time alone in the bathroom and to keep things in their room like journals that they can be assured no one will loo
