MARIE-SOPHIE GERMAIN

As an online moderation expert, I’ve seen the internet’s potential for good and its hidden dangers. One of the worst threats is online grooming, where predators manipulate children for sexual abuse. It’s a growing problem, but moderators are on the front lines, working to keep kids safe. While only a few of these life-saving stories are publicly known, countless more cases of moderators saving lives go unreported, reflecting their immense impact behind the scenes. This article explains grooming, how moderators fight it, and how you can help, with clear facts and practical steps.

🔍 Understanding Online Grooming

Online grooming is when an adult builds trust with a child online to exploit them, often for sexual purposes. It’s a serious issue affecting kids worldwide.

Scale of the Problem:

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) reports more than 41,000 grooming crimes in the UK since 2017, with a record 7,062 cases reported in 2023 alone. Globally, the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) found 275,000 webpages containing child sexual abuse material in 2023—much of it involving kids groomed online.

Who’s at Risk?

Children as young as five can be targeted. Around 81% of victims are girls. Vulnerable groups—including LGBTQ+ children, those experiencing family challenges, or children feeling isolated—are particularly at risk.

Where Grooming Happens:

Groomers target the platforms kids love most:

• Snapchat, Instagram, and Roblox—used by 73% of 13–15-year-olds in the UK.
• VR spaces and games—adopted by 25% of US teens and rising rapidly.
• Gaming chat rooms and live-streaming apps like Discord and Twitch, where interactions feel natural but can turn dangerous quickly.

🕸️ How Grooming Works

Groomers follow a calculated process to trap kids, moving quickly to avoid detection. Here’s how they operate:

• Fake Identities: Predators create profiles posing as teens, using photos or cartoon avatars. Some use AI-generated images to seem real, especially in VR spaces.
• Targeting: They seek out vulnerable kids, offering compliments (“You’re so cool!”) or virtual gifts like game items. A 2023 WeProtect study found grooming in gaming chats can escalate in 19 seconds.
• Building Trust: Over days or weeks, they ask innocent questions (“What’s your favorite game?”) to seem friendly, often targeting kids on platforms like Roblox or Discord.
• Escalation: They push for private chats on encrypted apps like WhatsApp, asking for personal details or photos. Some use “sextortion,” threatening to share images unless kids comply—1 in 17 minors face this.
• New Risks: In VR, groomers “meet” kids in 3D worlds, acting like peers. Coded language (e.g., “Let’s play a secret game”) helps them dodge filters.

It’s like a spider weaving a web, disguised as a friend, to trap kids before they realize the danger.

🛑 How Moderators Spot and Stop Grooming

Moderators are like online detectives, trained to catch these wolves. We monitor chats, posts, and live streams for red flags—think adults asking kids for photos, using flirty language, or suggesting private chats. We learn how to spot “deceptive trust patterns,” where predators shift from friendly to pushy. Here’s how we do it:

• Red Flags: We look for suspicious behaviors, like adults asking kids for photos, using flirty language, or suggesting private chats. For example, a shift from “Great game!” to “Send me a pic” raises alarms.
• Tools: AI systems flag risky phrases, but human moderators catch nuances—like emojis hiding intent—that machines miss.
• Action: We take action by banning accounts, securing evidence, and reporting to supervisors or organizations that notify police, depending on client and agency protocols.
• Challenges: Reviewing harmful content stresses 70% of moderators, and encrypted apps make tracking tough.

These quiet wins save lives, often without public recognition.

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💡 How You Can Help

We can all play a role in making the internet safer for kids. Here’s how:

Parents

Use the IWF’s TALK checklist:

• Talk to your kids about online risks
• Agree on screen rules
• Learn about their apps
• Know safety settings like privacy controls.

✅ Talk to your kids about online safety—no shame, no judgment.
✅ Use parental controls and privacy settings to reduce exposure to strangers.
✅ Report suspicious activity—most platforms have easy ways to flag harmful behavior.
✅ Support organizations like the NSPCC, IWF, and Thorn, which fight grooming every day.
✅ Encourage platforms to invest in safety features and moderation teams.

Educators

Teach kids to recognize fake friends online. Everyone, support laws like the UK’s Online Safety Bill, backed by 73% of parents, to make platforms prioritize kids’ safety.

Moderators are fighting for your kids,
but we need your help to win.

Links: INHOPE, Home Office, ScienceDirect, WeProtect, NCMEC, IWF, Thorn

Photo by Jonathan Borba