Examining Parental Abilities to Recognize Sexual Grooming Behaviors of Child Sexual Abusers.
Lillian A SteedmanElizabeth L JeglicGeorgia M WintersPublished in: Journal of child & adolescent trauma (2023)
Regardless of parental status, the sample did not strongly associate sexual grooming behaviors with CSA perpetration except when behaviors related to sexual content and physical touch were presented. This suggests heightened associations of more overt sexual grooming behaviors with CSA. The discrepancy found between confidence and recognition abilities calls for targeted educational efforts to increase awareness in types of behaviors that may be indicative of abuse.