April is Child Abuse Prevention Month: Physical Grooming is the process of desensitizing a child through increasing levels of closeness. It could progress from a wave, to a hug, or to sharing a chair. The predator seeks out activities to do alone with the child to the exclusion of other adults. This type of behavior transitions seamlessly into Psychological Grooming. The predator shows the child favoritism and often extolls of their “special relationship.” The predator will reward the child with privileges and gifts without permission and encourage them to keep it a secret. They push boundaries by exposing the child to “adult stuff” like profanity, telling dirty jokes or alcohol. This can progress to talking about sexual topics and viewing pornography. All these things, because the child knows they are wrong, make the child feel guilty and complicit. Those feelings can paralyze a child from disclosing abuse.

Este año dirigimos la atención a las etapas iniciales del posible abuso—cuando las señales de advertencia no son el abuso en sí, sino comportamientos inapropiados que a menudo lo preceden. "Grooming" es la táctica de manipulación deliberada que utilizan los depredadores para ganarse la confianza. Existen tres tipos de "grooming" : físico, psicológico, y comunitario. Aprender a reconocer las señales del "grooming" es la mejor manera de prevenir que se produzca el abuso. Durante los próximos fines de semana de abril, presentaremos algunos elementos característicos del "grooming". Si tiene conocimiento de abuso o una sospecha razonable de abuso, llame al DCF al 1-800-96ABUSE (1-800-962-2873).