What to Do If Your Child Tells You About Online Grooming

If your child ever tells you that someone has been grooming them online, the most important thing is how you respond in that first moment. Kids who are being groomed are often ashamed or confused, and they may be afraid they will get into trouble. Your reaction decides whether they keep talking to you or close down. The Department of Homeland Security’s Know2Protect program outlines the steps that help kids reach safety and help investigators do their job.

Stay calm and believe them. Online child sexual exploitation is never the victim’s fault. A child who is groomed has been manipulated by an adult who knew exactly what they were doing. Tell them plainly that they did the right thing by coming to you, and that they are not in trouble.

Do not take the device away. It is a natural instinct, but removing the phone or computer can feel like punishment and may push a child away from reporting. Worse, it can destroy evidence. Instead, save everything in its original form — images, videos, messages, usernames. Do not edit, delete, or move anything.

Do not punish or blame. Adolescents who become victims of sextortion and online grooming can spiral into isolation, and in the most tragic cases, some have died by suicide. Solidarity and hope are lifelines. Remind them there is a way out and that support exists.

Stop contact and notify authorities quickly. Advise your child to stop communicating with the person, then report it. Filing a report helps law enforcement stop the offender before they can harm anyone else. Nothing is too small to report — you do not need to be absolutely certain.

You do not have to navigate this alone. If you suspect a child is being groomed or exploited, report it to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or contact local law enforcement.

If the warning signs are already present in your home, see our guide to reporting an online predator and our browser plugin to help document and report suspicious behavior quickly.