{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,18]],"date-time":"2026-08-18T05:53:50Z","timestamp":1787032430901,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]],"date-time":"2024-02-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1707955200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["sotrap.psychopen.eu"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Sex. Offending"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The prevalence of online child sexual grooming offenses has been on the rise, posing significant risks to children. Child sexual grooming involves sexual communication with minors. This study aims to understand motivations and pathways of individuals who have engaged in online grooming behaviour, as well as propose effective prevention and intervention strategies. A sample of 14 male participants who had engaged in online child grooming were interviewed. Five themes were identified through thematic analysis: Social aspects, Mental health and psychological aspects, Justification for offending, Secrecy and Technology. Within all five themes risk factors and protective factors relating to online grooming behaviour were identified. Three pathways into online grooming behaviour were hypothesised: social connection, addictive behaviour, and fantasy\/roleplay. Additionally, the study highlights the complex relationship between online grooming and other child sexual abuse offences, including the sharing and distribution of indecent images of children. The study underscores the need for greater education and awareness about the risks and harms associated with online grooming for those at risk of engaging in this behaviour as well as wider support and situational prevention approaches, including monitoring and use of warning messages on relevant online platforms.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.5964\/sotrap.13147","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]],"date-time":"2024-02-15T05:21:05Z","timestamp":1707974465000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5964\/psychopen.cmp","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":7,"title":["Understanding and deterring online child grooming: A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.5964","volume":"19","author":[{"given":"Sarah","family":"Wefers","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Therese","family":"Dieseth","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"George","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ida","family":"\u00d8verland","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jayeta","family":"Jolapara","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ciara","family":"McAree","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Donald","family":"Findlater","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1941","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"r1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5964\/sotrap.6657"},{"key":"r2","unstructured":"Beier, K. M., Konrad, A., Amelung, T., Schneider, T. D., Scherner, G., & Neutze, J. (2009). Pr\u00e4ventive Behandlung nicht-justizbekannter M\u00e4nner mit p\u00e4dophiler Pr\u00e4ferenzst\u00f6rung: Das Pr\u00e4ventionsprojekt Dunkelfeld (PPD). http:\/\/www.kein-taeter-werden.de"},{"key":"r3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"r4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/14780887.2020.1769238"},{"key":"r5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1079063210384275"},{"key":"r6","unstructured":"Child Exploitation and Online Protection Command. (n.d.). What is online child sexual abuse and exploitation?https:\/\/www.ceop.police.uk\/Safety-Centre\/what-is-online-child-sexual-abuse\/"},{"key":"r7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/lhb0000328"},{"key":"r8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2021.105214"},{"key":"r9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1524838013511543"},{"key":"r10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.18260\/1-2--28777"},{"key":"r11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/10683160600558352"},{"key":"r12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/13552600.2018.1551502"},{"key":"r13","unstructured":"National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (2020, September). The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on child welfare: Online abuse (Insight briefing). NSPCC. https:\/\/learning.nspcc.org.uk\/research-resources\/2020\/coronavirus-insight-briefing-online-abuse"},{"key":"r14","unstructured":"National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. (2021, August 24). Record high number of recorded grooming crimes lead to calls for stronger online safety legislation. https:\/\/www.nspcc.org.uk\/about-us\/news-opinion\/2021\/online-grooming-record-high\/"},{"key":"r15","unstructured":"O\u2019Connell, R. (2003). A typology of child cybersexploitation and online grooming practices (Report). University of Central Lancashire. http:\/\/image.guardian.co.uk\/sys-files\/Society\/documents\/2003\/07\/17\/Groomingreport.pdf"},{"key":"r16","unstructured":"Online Safety Act. 2023, c. 50 (U.K.)."},{"key":"r17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.chiabu.2022.105759"},{"key":"r18","unstructured":"Paquette, S., Chopin, J., & Fortin, F. (2023). Crimes sexuels en ligne, d\u00e9linquants et victimes: th\u00e9orie, recherche et pratique [Online sex offending, offenders, and victims: Theories, research, and practice]. Les Presses de l\u2019Universit\u00e9 Laval."},{"key":"r19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306624X20905757"},{"key":"r20","unstructured":"Prichard, J., Scanlan, J., Watters, P., Wortley, R., Hunn, C., & Garrett, E. (2022). Online messages to reduce users\u2019 engagement with child sexual abuse material: A review of relevant literature for the rethink Chatbot. University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia."},{"key":"r21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/10790632211013809"},{"key":"r22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1037\/0021-843X.115.3.610"},{"key":"r23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.7488\/era\/1634"},{"key":"r24","unstructured":"Taylor, H. (2017). Online sexual grooming: The role of offender motivation and grooming strategies [Doctoral thesis, University of Birmingham]. University of Birmingham eTheses Repository. https:\/\/etheses.bham.ac.uk\/id\/eprint\/7896\/"},{"key":"r25","unstructured":"Walsh, M., Denis, D., & Findlater, D. 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Deterring online child sexual abuse and exploitation: Lessons from seven years of campaigning (The Faithfull Papers). https:\/\/www.lucyfaithfull.org.uk\/files\/LFF_Faithfull_Paper_Lessons_From_Campaigning_FINAL.pdf"},{"key":"r26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1359-1789(98)00036-6"},{"key":"r27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S1359-1789(01)00076-3"},{"key":"r28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-90307-1_52-1"},{"key":"r29","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.13189\/ujp.2013.010206"},{"key":"r30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/01639625.2012.707550"},{"key":"r31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tele.2022.101776"},{"key":"sp1_r1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.23668\/psycharchives.14139"}],"container-title":["Sexual Offending: Theory, Research, and Prevention"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/sotrap.psychopen.eu\/index.php\/sotrap\/article\/download\/13147\/13147.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/sotrap.psychopen.eu\/index.php\/sotrap\/article\/view\/13147\/13147.html","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/sotrap.psychopen.eu\/index.php\/sotrap\/article\/download\/13147\/13147.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]],"date-time":"2024-02-15T05:21:14Z","timestamp":1707974474000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/sotrap.psychopen.eu\/index.php\/sotrap\/article\/view\/13147"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]]},"references-count":32,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5964\/sotrap.13147","relation":{"is-supplemented-by":[{"id-type":"doi","id":"10.23668\/psycharchives.14139","asserted-by":"subject"}]},"ISSN":["2699-8440"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2699-8440","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,15]]},"assertion":[{"value":"PsychOpen GOLD, a publishing platform for psychology journals, free of charge for authors and readers (diamond open access). 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