Grooming is a process of getting someone ready to do whatever is asked of them by their abuser. It means working to build an emotional connection, complete trust and reliance, often isolating the victim completely from their support network – friends, family etc.
Once a person has been groomed, they can then be led into a number of situations they may not otherwise enter – such as sexual exploitation, criminal exploitation, extremism or financial exploitation.
If someone is being groomed, it won’t feel scary and wrong, it will feel exciting and special. Grooming is a process of building trust so that a person will often feel loved and understood. They will think they have control, that they are getting what they want and that they have changed or grown up to fit in with new friends.
Generally, they will feel happy and confident throughout this period, looking forward to new opportunities and potentially experiencing new things for the first time (such as parties, drinking and drugs), not realising they are in any danger.
A person will find themselves being asked or forced to do sexual things with their partner, or someone else, that they don’t want or are too young to do. They will often be told that there is no other option, that they owe someone.
This could be because they have been given gifts, affection, a place to stay or because they think their partner is in trouble and that this is a way they can help them.
It is when a young person finds themselves being asked, or forced, to do criminal things for someone else. Whilst initially they may feel part of a group or even a family, over time they will be told that there is no other option, that they owe someone, owe money or should do things out of loyalty.
Criminal exploitation can involve a young person moving drugs, sometimes hidden in their body, around their local area or sometimes travelling across the country. The exploited person can be made to sell drugs, transport weapons or carry out other criminal activities, such as assaulting people and stealing.
It’s a complicated issue because although what a young person is doing can sometimes be a criminal behaviour if they are being manipulated and controlled they are actually a victim of crime themselves.
d confident throughout this period, looking forward to new opportunities and potentially experiencing new things for the first time (such as parties, drinking and drugs), not realising they are in any danger.
