Understanding and recognising possible grooming behaviours

gaining the child’s trust by making promises and giving gifts
lavishing a child or young person with attention and praise so they enjoy spending time with the perpetrator
engaging with the child in various forms of close physical contact so that they become comfortable with close physical contact e.g. by roughhousing, tickling, patting
gaining the trust of the child’s carers/parents
assisting and ingratiating themselves with the family and the child e.g. offering to babysit, financial assistance, tutoring.
trying to isolate the child or young person from their parent/s or carer, creating a situation where the child or young person wants to spend time with the perpetrator
spending time exclusively with the child
providing cigarettes, drugs or alcohol to a child or young person
making sexual comments or jokes
using pornography to open sexual discussions with children and young people

using their role, position of authority or uniform to encourage or force the child to comply with the adult’s wishes
using threats and fear to force the child to comply
using guilt and shame tactics to stop the child from telling
using physical force to overpower the child.