Blog

It is a fact that the world is faced with many challenges. Some are small while others are bigger. There are collective issues as well as individual concerns of the people. But what is common in all this? That is technology. Yes, the recent changes in technology and advancement have brought about various problems and challenges for people worldwide. 

Some parents are worried because their kids spend too much time on social media while others are concerned about the use of social media by their children. Issues are almost the same and have similar impacts. There are cybersex and child trafficking issues too. The latest in all this is the grooming of children for sexual exploitation. 

In this blog, we will talk about what is grooming, and sexual exploitation, how these are linked, and how Viber is the target of culprits who exploit children. In the end, we will discuss how parents can take good measures to prevent grooming and sexual exploitation to keep their children safe and protected.

What is grooming?

According to the studies, grooming is to prepare teens and kids for sexual conduct at a later time.

This very general definition says a lot of things. 

• The first point to understand is that kids are prepared. Who prepares them? There are so many people who are engaged in this business. They deploy various options like using social media and the internet.
• The second point is what is the purpose and the definition shows it is sexual exploitation. In other words, grooming is all about preparing children and teens to perform sexual acts with them. 
• The third point which is very alarming is the time. The definition says kids are prepared so that they can be used at any time later. In fact, this point has the most issues which will also talk about. 

Reports and research studies have been done on the grooming and sexual exploitation of children. This has a long history which is not our area of focus. The most alarming factor is that teens and kids do not know they are being groomed for sexual exploitation. They take it something else. 

Examples of Grooming

It becomes pertinent to explain the serious issue with examples. Below are a few of the examples which let you understand what grooming really is and how it is done.

• The traditional grooming is done by giving gifts and presents to the kids and children. It is done in order to win the heart and favor of children.
• But nowadays, social media is used for this purpose too. On the apps like Viber, WhatsApp, and others- people send sexual images, transfer them and send gifts to their addresses. 
• The culprits also try to incite children sexually. Like they try to make physical contact so that kids can feel it. 
• Sending nude images, photos or exposing teens to nudity and then pretending that it happened by mistake. This is an obvious sign which can tell if your child is being groomed. 
• Lastly, coercive measures like force or threats are also used to control the children and keep them in their zones. Culprits use such tactics as well. 

How Does Grooming Happen?

As we have talked about grooming and some of the examples, now it is important to understand the process of grooming. The below points explain what kind of methods is used when it comes to grooming.

1. Targeting- In this method, selective kids are targeted based on their appearance, features, and sexual interest. People who do grooming find such kids with ease who they can prepare for sexual relationships.
2. Relationship Building- A lot of people try to initiate relationships with children. Their purpose may not apparently be bad but they have serious intentions which will exploit the kids for sexual relationships.
3. Victimization- This approach means the teens and kids are somehow controlled. Their private photos may be used to exploit them and prepare them for sexual matters.
4. Viber- This app is widely used for grooming. It enables people to communicate with the children, share content, and images, and change their mindset to get them ready for sexual exploitation.

Viber and Grooming and Sexual Exploitation

Viber is one of the widely used social media apps. It works like WhatsApp and has almost the same features. This app is widely used among teens and kids for communication. It allows users to talk to others, send images, make audio and video calls and share files. Even, reports say Viber has led to an increase in cybersex trafficking at an alarming rate. 

There is no doubt that there are many effects of bad parenting on teens. When parents do not know about technology and keep an eye on their children, such things happen. Viber is used by people who are looking for their targets. They talk to teens and girls through this app. It is easy to use. 

Signs of Child Grooming

Want to know the signs if your child is being groomed for sexual exploitation? Let us explore the indicators.

1. Your child may be missing from school, classes, and work.
2. Kids will hide where they have been and not tell the truth about their locations.
3. Kids are usually dishonest in everything when they are groomed.
4. They will have a relationship with an older person.
5. Talking about friends or people who do not belong to their social circles.
6. Kids will have a lot of money but will hide it from their parents.
7. Using the phone excessively and on a regular basis.
8. Being picked up by someone who the parents have never met.
9. Having new phones, clothes, and accessories.
10. Not ready to tell about their whereabouts to the parents. 

Measures to Curb Grooming and Sexual Exploitation

The discussion above shows that grooming is one of the most dangerous things which can occur to any child or teen. For this reason, it becomes necessary to control it and prevent the children from being groomed. Following are some of the suggestions that parents can take in this regard.

Identify Grooming

The first and most important step is to find out if your child is being groomed. We have listed a number of signs which can help you identify this issue. In case, your child is being groomed, you should process further.

Talks to the Children

The next step should be to talk to your kids about grooming. As you talk, try to see if you can identify any of the signs mentioned above. Kids will try to hide everything so you should be ready for this.

Report it to the Police

If you get proof and find something authentic, you should report the issue to the police. However, it can be a dangerous step. It will also affect the life of your child and the perpetrators will be behind you and target you.

Resort to BlurSPY App 

If you see everything has failed and you could not know whether your child is being groomed or not, you should not lose hope. We have a solution for this. And that is the BlurSPY app. With this android spying, you can find if your child is being used for sexual relationships.

The app lets you monitor your child’s phone, spy on their text messages, check Viber app chat and messages, get access to images and media, monitor their internet history and other stuff. With these proofs, you will find everything clearly. It is a perfect solution for parents. 

Conclusion

Grooming is on the rise and kids are being used for sexual exploitation. Parents should take note, identify if their kids are being groomed, and use the BlurSPY app to track it out.