Predators often “groom” their victims with manipulation and deceptive tricks.
Parents and children should be aware that certain behavior in others can indicate a red flag or warning sign.
Possible Red Flags include:
- Someone who repeatedly ignores social, emotional or physical boundaries or limits.
- Someone who refuses to let a child set any of his or her own limits.
- Someone who insists on hugging, touching, kissing, tickling, wrestling with or holding a child even when the child does not want this physical contact or attention.
- Someone who shares inappropriate personal or private information with a child, that should normally by shared with adults only.
- Someone who frequently points out sexual images or tells inappropriate, suggestive stories or jokes with children present.
- Someone who seems overly interested in the sexuality of a particular child or teen, and talks repeatedly about the child's developing body.
- Someone who insists upon or manages to spend uninterrupted time alone with a child.
- Someone who appears to be “too good to be true”, frequently offering to baby sit different children for free; taking children on special outings alone; often buying children gifts or giving them money for no apparent reason.
- Someone who frequently walks in on children/teens in the bathroom.
- Someone who continually invites children to spend time alone at their home, enticing them with the latest games, toys or gadgets — especially an adult who does not have children of their own.
- Someone who seems especially preoccupied with your child, and lavishes them with inappropriate attention.
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