Harassment of children through the Internet and related technologies for sexual purposes is a growing problem worldwide. It is developed by subjects who enjoy going out to “hunt” their victims.
Marcela Scarafia*
Since he was a teenager, Gastón was good at technology and social media. One day they raid him and take his computers and cell phone. The accusation? “Distribution of pornographic images of minors under 18 years of age.” As an adult, Gastón is also good at Grooming.
The harassment of boys, girls, or adolescents through the Internet and related technologies for sexual purposes (Grooming) is a growing problem worldwide that puts countless minors at risk of sexual abuse and exploitation.
It is a process through which an adult establishes a relationship with a child, or adolescent through the use of social networks to make sexual contact possible, whether online or offline.
Different ways. Internet bullying can be linked to a variety of different forms of child sexual exploitation, such as the creation of child sexual violence and abuse material. Most groomers use the images of their victims, obtained through coercion, for their own consumption and for marketing on Internet sites that can only be accessed through a specialized browser. It is the so-called “Dark Web”. This deep web is used to maintain anonymity in both legal and illegal applications. It is clear that anonymity is a crucial factor for the actions of our profiling subject.
According to Jean-Yves Hayez, sexual abuse can range from “a subtle sexual comment to rape with serious injuries.” This definition provides for any type of behavior with sexual implications, even verbal, which personally includes a gesture, a lascivious look, a grimace or any attitude of sexual insinuation. I particularly remember the case of a father who habitually abused one of his three daughters. He locks himself in a room with them upon learning that his wife had gone to file a complaint about the abuse of the oldest of the girls. In that bedroom, he looked at the second of his daughters and while he did so, he licked his lips. Frightened and paralyzed, catastrophically anticipating a future of submission similar to what her older sister had suffered, she interpreted “I am the one who follows…”. The girl developed traumatic symptoms from that experience. Grooming meets these characteristics. Without even touching it, the virtual stalker approaches and violates the privacy of the child or adolescent's body, while crossing the screen and invading the privacy of the victim.
Characteristics. Now, introducing ourselves fully to the fascinating personality of the groomer, and I say fascinating because of his ability to develop complex strategies to capture and sustain the attention of his victim, to seduce her and then to control her, we can propose several characteristics of no less importance.
The groomer is a hunter. The groomer is fascinated by hunting and the adrenaline of going out to hunt victims. The anticipation of the search, the process of locating and capturing prey encourages and activates it. It keeps you excited and encouraged. But you are not always successful in your search, because sometimes potential victims are not interested in your attempts and recruitment maneuvers, so you must develop patience; another of the characteristics of these subjects. The groomer has become very patient, both in finding the perfect victim to take the bait and in getting it trapped in his nets. To do this, he must develop a seduction strategy that proceeds in a detailed, gradual, progressive and invasive manner like a vine that dives into the interstices opened by the prey itself, eager for attention, to be looked at, to be understood and to receive containment.
The seduction of the groomer, the pretense of being an understanding “friend” who shares secrets, tastes, problems, desires, dreams, has the consequence that its prey lowers its defenses and thus remains exposed and vulnerable to the groomer's maneuvers. To do this, this imposter has been creative, very creative, adapting like a chameleon to the needs and opinions of the victim, trying to follow her as if she were her shadow in terms of her desires, tastes and fears. This creativity is not insignificant to enable the development of this process and poses a great capacity for cognitive flexibility.
Control. Once this is achieved, this chess player has achieved control. Reaching this stage causes a certain enjoyment in our subject of analysis, because it allows him to feel that he has achieved power and preeminence over his prey. You have it in your hands and can now begin the second stage of the process. Then he begins to propose, often from the “game”, suggestive photos and later, other more daring productions, sometimes to a point where the victim resists. This reluctance is responded to with actions by the groomer that blame the girl, boy or adolescent for ingratitude for “everything” this “friend” has done for them. Thus, emotional blackmail is incorporated, installing in the dynamics of the relationship a style of manipulation characterized by the use of guilt and the obligation of loyalty as a forced exchange between perpetrator and victim. Phrases like “if it weren't for me, you would be alone.” “I am your only friend” are frequent in this dynamic installed by the groomer. If this refusal from the victim remains, coercion and extortion begins on the publication of the material they already have: “I am going to upload the photos to Facebook and Instagram so that everyone can see who you really are.” In this way, new images are made that they then use for their own consumption, to upload to the deep web and to market them. Of course for this guy, his victim is just an object and therefore disposable; This way you can continue obtaining material from the same prey or perhaps you can move on to the next one.
As we warned, the groomer is a chess player and as such accepts the challenge of a rival/victim every time he has the opportunity.
*Psicóloga Forense.
Official Expert of the Judicial Branch of Córdoba. Professor of the Special Course in Legal Psychology at UNC.
Fuente: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/opinion/el-groomer-un-buen-ajedrecista.phtml
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