Grooming

Grooming is when someone pretends to be your friend to trick you into doing sexual things. 

The person who pretends to be your friend could be: 

• a man
• a woman 
• someone you know and meet a lot 
• a care worker 
• someone you chat to online. 

The person who pretends to be your friend might: 

• pretend to be your boyfriend or girlfriend
• say nice things to you
• give you gifts
• send you lots of messages
• ask you to keep secrets
• ask you for sexual photos or videos.

After they have tricked you and you think they are your friend, they might make you do sexual things or things you do not want to do.  

They might:

• make you meet up for a date
• make you send them photos or videos of yourself when you are not wearing any clothes
• share your private photos without asking you if it is ok
• make you do something sexual.

If you have been groomed, it is important to remember it was not your fault.

The next part of our sexual abuse guide is about online sexual abuse.

Or you can go back to the introduction to choose to go to a different part of the sexual abuse guide.