What is Cyber Grooming? | How to avoid being a victim of cyber grooming?

Cyber Grooming is growing as one of the major cyber threats faced by children and teenagers. It is a practice where someone builds an emotional bond with children through social media on messaging platforms with the objective of gaining their trust for sexually abusing or exploiting them.

The cyber groomers can use gaming websites, social media, email, chat rooms, instant messaging, etc. by creating a fake account and pretending to be a child or having some interest as in the child.

Do you know that many of us don’t even realize that someone is grooming us online? The online groomer can be a known person, a relative, or even an unknown person who we met online on the social media platform, a chat room or gaming portal, etc.

Initially, the cyber groomer can give you compliments gifts, modeling job offers, and later they can start sending obscene messages, photographs, or videos and will ask you to share your sexually explicit images or videos with them.
The online groomer mostly targets teenagers as in adolescence they face immense biological personal and social changes.

The impulsive and curious nature of adolescents encourages them to engage in online activities which makes them vulnerable to online grooming.

Cyber grooming has deep Impact on a child’s physical, emotional as well as psychological well-being. It can not only impact their academic performance but also their daily life to a great extent.
The devastating effects of online grooming can sometimes be long-term and can even haunt the victim in their adulthood.
Concern about cyber grooming? Don’t worry with awareness and precaution you can use the internet and mobile technology without any fear. You need to be careful and follow safeguards to protect yourself and your friends against cyber grooming.

Table of Contents

Let’s discuss how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of Cyber grooming

Don’t accept friend requests from unknown people on social media platforms. The cyber groomer can even create a fake account to befriend victims.
Don’t share your personal information like date of birth, address, phone number, and school name on social media or other online platforms. You can go to privacy settings on social media platforms to select who can access your posts online. Try to restrict access to your profile to your friends only.
Be cautious when your chat partner gives you many compliments regarding your appearance in just a short span of your acquaintance.
Avoid talking to people who ask you questions related to your physical or sexual experiences. You can tell the person to stop asking you such questions as you feel uncomfortable. If they continue to do the same, immediately inform your parents.
Do not talk to people who ask you to share your sexually explicit photographs or videos. If you share your sexually explicit photos or videos with someone, the person can share those photos with others or post them on social media. They can also blackmail you.
Never turn on your webcam while your chat partner does not connect to your webcam.
Talk to your elder or parents if your chat partner suggests keeping your conversation with them a secret.
Do not go to meet a person whom you met online alone. Always take a friend or an elder person with you.
Never install unwanted software and Apps like dating apps, online games, etc. from unknown sources. You should be very careful while chatting in the chat rooms. Never share personal details in the chat room and limit your identity.

What can you do if you are a victim of cyber grooming?

If you feel that you are a victim of Cyber grooming, please inform your elders so that they can intervene and support you.

Following suggestions can be helpful in managing the situation

Inform your parents/elders immediately
If someone online is making you uncomfortable, you must inform your parents or elders immediately. Don’t feel that your parents will restrict your online activity or ask you not to use your computer or smartphone. It is important to inform them so that they can support and guide you. Narrate the entire is clearly to your parents or elders.
Block the groomer
If a groomer is using social media platforms to groom you, you can block him/ her. All the social media apps or services have the option to block a user.
Collect and save messages
Save messages, pictures, or videos shared with you by the groomer. Such messages, pictures, or videos can be used as a piece of evidence to take legal action against them.
Your parents or elders can contact local police Stations to lodge a complaint against the groomer. or you can register a complaint online on Government’s official National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal website.

Do you know that producing, publishing, and transmitting sexual explain materials of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) in electronic form is a punishable offense under the information technology Act 2000 of India?

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