Preventing Grooming Behaviors
Spot and interrupt the grooming patterns abusers use to gain access to children.
For: Volunteers and staff who work with minors
What you’ll learn
- Recognize the stages and tactics of grooming — of the child and of the organization
- Interrupt boundary-testing and isolation behavior early, without accusing anyone
- Understand how clear policies remove the access grooming depends on
- Report grooming concerns through the right channels, calmly and factually
Screen your volunteers for $5
VolunteerBadge runs FCRA-compliant background checks for just $5 — with identity verification built in. No monthly fees, no contracts.
Create a free account →Course outline
- 1
What grooming is — and why it works
6 min
- 2
The stages of grooming
7 min
- 3
Grooming the organization and the community
6 min
- 4
Boundary-testing and desensitizing
6 min
- 5
How policies disrupt grooming
6 min
- 6
Reporting concerns the right way
5 min
- 7
Putting it together: notice, interrupt, report
4 min
Sources & further reading
- Darkness to Light — Stewards of Children® — child sexual abuse prevention training
- Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MCASA) — The 6 Stages of Grooming (fact sheet)
- U.S. Center for SafeSport — Preventing and Addressing Abuse — grooming & prevention resources
- RAINN — Statistics: Children & Teens
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) — Preventing Child Sexual Abuse
This course is educational and provides general information about the Fair Credit Reporting Act and volunteer-screening best practices. It is not legal advice. Laws vary by state and change over time — consult a qualified attorney about your organization’s specific obligations.