Online grooming of children is increasing rapidly, causing serious risks to their safety and mental health. Children use social media, games, and messaging apps where strangers can contact them. Experts warn that this hidden danger contributes to poor mental health among youth worldwide. This article explains what is happening and how parents and communities can protect children.
Grooming is when adults or older kids build trust with children online to exploit or abuse them. It is no longer limited to in-person contact but happens through phones, tablets, and computers. A study by Childlight, a child safety charity, estimates that about 830,000 young people are at risk of social exploitation every day. This includes sharing explicit photos, sexual extortion, solicitation, and viewing harmful content such as pornography and deepfake images.
Platforms aimed at children, like Roblox, look friendly but can hide serious dangers. These sites often have open chat features that allow adults to reach children, sometimes as young as five. Predators can use these chats to gain trust and move conversations to private spaces. Recently, a man in California was accused of kidnapping a 10-year-old he met on Roblox.
The mental impact of online grooming and abuse can be severe. Children exposed to traumatic or sexual content can suffer lasting emotional damage, even if physical abuse does not occur. In England and Wales, 19 percent of children aged 10 to 15 have messaged someone online they never met. Nearly a third of children who play games online say they chat with strangers while playing.
Many children do not report harmful or scary content. Only about half tell a parent or teacher. Fear, shame, and confusion keep them silent, which can worsen anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Mental health organizations say children who have been abused online are at higher risk of self-harm and suicide. Recognizing and addressing abuse early is key to prevention.
Parents should regularly talk to their children about online safety and encourage open communication. Many adults do not know the risks children face online or how to protect them. Using parental controls and monitoring apps can help. Teaching children never to share personal information with strangers is also important.
Technology companies must be held accountable for the safety of young users. Voluntary efforts to protect children have fallen short. Governments are now introducing laws to require platforms to create safer environments. The UK’s Online Safety Act, effective from July 2025, sets rules to reduce harmful content and abuse targeting children online.
Parents and caregivers should watch the apps children use and help them understand the risks. Creating a safe space where children feel comfortable sharing concerns is critical. The stigma around abuse must be broken so survivors can get help without fear.
