Episode 1: Red Flags  |  Episode 2: Can Parents Spot Grooming?  |  Episode 3: Adult Survivor Experiences

 

What is sexual grooming?

What are the signs to spot and stop grooming and child sexual abuse?

Elizabeth Jeglic, Ph.D., defines grooming as “the deceptive process in which a perpetrator seeks to facilitate sexual contact with a minor while simultaneously avoiding detection and disclosure.” Learn more by diving deep into our 3-episode series about grooming with Dr. Jeglic, researcher and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and the nation’s foremost researcher on grooming behaviors and a frequent guest of One in Ten.

 

 

Episode 1: The Real Red Flags of Grooming

Season 5, Episode 4, March 24, 2023

Check out this soundbite for a preview:

 

In this episode, we explore Dr. Jeglic’s research that looks at what high-risk behaviors we ought to look for when an adult interacts with children. The episode identifies red flag behaviors that any mandatory reporter, parent, or professional can recognize to sound the alarm.

 

Topics in this episode:

-Origin story (1:48)
-What is grooming? (4:12)
-The hindsight bias (7:20)
-High-risk grooming behaviors (8:56)
-The kids abusers target (12:05)
-Favoritism and trust development (17:34)
-Post-abuse maintenance (24:33)
-Implications for prevention (27:35)
-Implications for investigation (32:24)
-For more information (38:21)

 

“Identification of red flag child sexual grooming behaviors,” by Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Georgia M. Winters, and  Benjamin N. Johnson. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105998 This is an open-access article under the CC BY-NC_ND license

 

 

 

 

Episode 2: How Good Are Parents at Recognizing Grooming?

Season 6, Episode 7, May 30, 2024

Check out this soundbite for a preview:

 

This episode explores the question—Would you recognize grooming if you saw it? We all think we know what it means, but that doesn’t mean we’re any good at spotting it—even if we’re parents determined to protect our kids.

 

Topics in this episode:

-00:09 – Origin story
-03:16 – What is grooming?
-05:52 – Study design and findings
-14:04 – Escalating behaviors
-15:38 – Overconfidence
-20:58 – Prevention education
-29:04 – Intervention
-32:04 – Public policy implications
-35:15 – Future research
-38:17 – Abusive women
-41:01 – For more information

 

“Examining Parental Abilities to Recognize Sexual Grooming Behaviors of Child Sexual Abusers,” Lillian A. Steedman, Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Georgia M. Winters, Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 2023. DOI:10.1007/s40653-023-00599-x

 

 

 

 

Episode 3: What Adult Survivors Tell Us About Grooming

Season 6, Episode 19, December 12, 2024

Check out this soundbite for a preview: 

This episode explores research about adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse and the prevalence of grooming behaviors they received.

 

Topics in this episode:

-00:00 – Introduction to Grooming Behaviors
-01:34 – Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic’s Journey into Grooming Research
-03:10 – Defining and Identifying Grooming
-05:03 – Red Flag Behaviors in Grooming
-06:28 – Prevalence and Impact of Grooming
-10:01 – Survivor Stories and Insights
-19:20 – Prevention Education and Public Policy
-27:52 – Future Research and Concluding Thoughts

 

Winters GM, Jeglic EL, Johnson BN, Chou C. The prevalence of sexual grooming behaviors among survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Child Abuse Negl. 2024 Aug

 

Check out the full video episode of What Adult Survivors Tell Us About Grooming on YouTube: