How Good Are Parents at Recognizing Grooming?

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 from abuse. In fact, if anything, we’re overconfident about our ability to recognize grooming behaviors. Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic returns to One in Ten to discuss recent research on the topic.

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

Links:

Elizabeth L. Jeglic, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

“The Real Red Flags of Grooming” (Season 5, Episode 4, March 24, 2023)

“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

Lillian A. Steedman

Georgia M. Winters, Ph.D.

David Finklehor, Ph.D.

For more information about National Children’s Alliance and the work of Children’s Advocacy Centers, visit our website at NationalChildrensAlliance.org. Or visit our podcast website at OneInTenPodcast.org. And join us on Facebook at One in Ten podcast.

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