Online Grooming - Pupil Handout KS4

Name: _________________________________________ Date: _________________ Year Group: _________

📊 Key Facts

In 2024, the NCA recorded over 7,000 reports of online grooming of children in the UK
The average age of victims of online grooming is 12-15
Most grooming begins on mainstream social media platforms
90% of online sexual abuse against children is carried out by someone in the child's wider social network
Only 1 in 8 victims of online sexual exploitation tell an adult

Sexual Offences Act 2003, Section 15: grooming — meeting a child following sexual grooming; maximum 10 years
Sexual Offences Act 2003, Section 15A: sexual communication with a child; maximum 2 years
Protection of Children Act 1978: taking, distributing, or possessing indecent images of children
Serious Crime Act 2015: causing or inciting sexual exploitation of a child
CEOP (Child Exploitation and Online Protection) Command: specialist police unit; reports at ceop.police.uk
Section 45 Modern Slavery Act 2015: protection for child victims of exploitation who commit related offences

Scenario 1: A friend tells you something worrying about online grooming. What do you do?

Scenario 2: You see something related to online grooming that concerns you. What are your options?

Scenario 3: Someone you know seems to be in a situation involving online grooming. How do you respond?

Grooming is a deliberate, staged process — knowing the stages makes it easier to recognise
The law is clear: adults who groom children are committing serious criminal offences
Victims are protected under law — they are never prosecuted for what happened to them
Only 1 in 8 victims tell an adult — being that one person, or helping a friend to tell, saves lives
CEOP reports go directly to specialist police — they take this seriously and act on it

Childline: 0800 1111 (free, 24/7, confidential)

Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 (100% anonymous)

CEOP: ceop.police.uk (online exploitation)

Emergency: 999