CHARACTER – THE WEAPON AGAINST GROOMING

Parents often ask me what they can do to make certain their child is not a victim of sexual exploitation whether it is sextortion, social media exploitation or sex trafficking. The answer may surprise you. I believe character is the single biggest element in teaching your child to stand against predators, pimps, pedophiles, gangs, and organized crime. Don’t get me wrong. That is not to suggest victims of exploitation did not have character. But over the years we have learned that there are two critical factors in how predators identify and seduce their victims. The most common grooming tool is to look for their weaknesses and exploit it. Usually it is a desire to be loved, admired, included and cherished. They seek out young people on dating sites and live streaming apps that may be looking for excitement, adventure, affection or hookups. They also are looking for people (of any age) that are willing to take a short cut to earn easy money.