What is online grooming?
We explain online grooming so you can stay safe and in control.
Sadly not everyone online is your friend
It’s easy for someone to pretend to be someone else.
- Even if they seem friendly they might end up hurting you
- It might start out fun but then turn scary or stressful
- It feels good when someone is nice to you, so it's easy to let your guard down
- Some people want you to let your guard down so they can take advantage of you
Making contact online with someone under 16 with the intention of having a sexual relationship is against the law.
How online grooming can happen
They might do any of these things or a combination of them:
- Like the same things as you
- Offer gifts or favours
- Say they love you or have never met anyone like you
- Are very understanding when you say 'no' at first
- Make you feel special
- Ask you for a favour
- Ask for photos
- Ask where you live
- Ask for videos
- Ask for your phone number
- Ask to meet up IRL
- Ask you to keep it secret
- Get angry with you
- Make you feel pressured
They might have a nice profile but you have no idea who they really are.
Steer clear of suspicious behaviour
There’s a few things you can do to stay in control and shake off suspicious people you meet:
Trust your gut and if something seems ‘off’ then leave
Be wary of someone you don’t know who tries to be your friend
Be wary of someone who gives lots of compliments for no reason
Don’t respond to their attempts at being your friend; block them
Report suspicious behaviour
Check your privacy settings and keep your details private
Someone I know might be at risk
If you're worried that a young person may be at risk, here’s what you can do:
- Talk to them about your concerns
- Help them check their privacy settings
- Help them report suspicious behaviour
- Talk about it with a parent or carer
- Help them block or un-friend the person
- Tell them you’re there to help and want them to be safe
- Tell them it's not their fault if they're in this situation
- Encourage the child to talk to someone and get support
- Learn more by visiting ThinkUKnow or eSafety
- Talk it through with a Kids Helpline counsellor
We all have a role to play in keeping young people safe
There's always someone you can talk to and get advice from
You're not alone in protecting a young person from online grooming. If you need support call the Parentline service in your State or Territory and talk through your options with a counsellor.
Encourage the young person in your life to talk with a counsellor if they're worried or upset about anything that happens online.
Kids Helpline is open 24/7. They can give us a call, send us an email or talk to us on WebChat.
This content was last reviewed
