Women For RestoreUseful information
Practical guides for parents, carers and young people: how to spot grooming, and how to stay safe online.
Spotting the signs of grooming
For parents, carers and anyone who looks out for young people.
Grooming is when someone builds a young person's trust in order to abuse them. It can happen face to face or online, and to boys as well as girls. Groomers are often charming and generous at first. The control comes later.
Warning signs in a young person
An older "boyfriend"
or new adult friends they are vague about.
Unexplained gifts
new phones, clothes, money, vapes or alcohol.
Secretive about their phone
new accounts, apps or a second phone.
Going missing
coming home late, or getting into unknown cars.
Alcohol and drugs
or being drunk or high at a young age.
Dropping away
from school, clubs, family and old friends.
Big changes in mood
anger, withdrawal, fear or self-harm.
Injuries or health problems
including sexual health problems.
Talk of "parties"
or flats, hotels and trips to other towns.
How groomers work
- TargetPicks a young person who seems lonely, ignored or under pressure.
- Gain trustKindness, attention, flattery. "I understand you."
- Fill a needLifts, food, gifts, alcohol, drugs or a place to go.
- IsolateTurns them against family and friends. "Keep it our secret."
- AbuseSexual contact, then passing them to other men.
- ControlThreats, violence, debts, or photos used as blackmail.
If you are worried
- Stay calm and don't blame them. Groomers tell young people they will be in trouble. Listen, and keep talking.
- Write it down: names, nicknames, car makes and number plates, addresses, times, usernames.
- Keep the evidence. Don't delete messages or photos. Screenshot them.
- Report it. You don't need proof to raise a concern.
Who to call
| 999 | if a child is in danger now |
|---|---|
| 101 | police non-emergency |
| 0808 800 5000 | NSPCC, for adults worried about a child |
| 0800 1111 | Childline, for young people |
| 0800 555 111 | Crimestoppers, 100% anonymous |
| ceop.police.uk | to report online grooming |
For young people
If an adult shows you unusual attention or wants time alone with you, treat it as a warning. Say no clearly: you don't have to be polite. Tell someone you trust straight away. Never keep secrets for an adult. If something has already happened, it is not your fault, and you can still get help.
Sources: NSPCC; Childline; CEOP; Crimestoppers; Rape Gang Inquiry 2026; Women For Restore guide for teenage girls.
Online safety
Know the apps. Know the risks. Stay involved.
Apps parents should know about
Snapchat
Disappearing messages and Snap Map location. Used in 40% of grooming cases where the app was known.
TikTok
Messages, comments and live streams from strangers.
Private messages and disappearing photos.
Strangers in group chats; location sharing.
Discord
Public chat servers with adult themes.
Roblox
In-game chat with strangers of any age.
Fortnite
Voice chat with players they don't know.
Telegram
Secret chats that are hard to monitor.
Kik
Lets users hide who they really are.
Wizz and Yubo
Made for meeting new people; live streams.
Minecraft
Chat on public servers.
Any app
No app is safe on its own. It's how it is used.
Look out for
Secretive behaviour and hiding screens, several accounts on one app, disappearing messages, new "friends" they have never met, being asked to keep secrets, pressure for photos or videos, gifts, game credits or money from someone online, and sudden changes in mood or sleep.
Simple steps
Turn off location sharing (use Ghost Mode on Snap Map), set accounts to private, check who is on their friends list, use parental controls on phones, consoles and Wi-Fi, keep devices out of bedrooms at night, and ask about their apps and who they talk to, little and often.
If someone is blackmailing them
Don't pay and don't send anything more. Stop replying, but don't delete anything: screenshot the messages and profile. Report it to the police or CEOP. Use Report Remove (Childline and IWF) to get nude images taken down. Tell them it is not their fault.
Beware of the influence
Some influencers glamorise risky behaviour, fake lifestyles and harmful ideas about women and girls. Know who they follow and why, talk about what they see, set limits on screen time, and be their safe place to come to.
Report online grooming: ceop.police.uk. NSPCC 0808 800 5000. Childline 0800 1111. Advice: internetmatters.org and thinkuknow.co.uk
Sources: NSPCC, November 2025; IWF Annual Report 2025; CEOP; Childline; Internet Matters.