In practice, grooming relies on secrecy. Groomers use secrets to bind their child victims to them, starting with small secrets and working up to harmful ones, like abusive behaviors. Predators often use bribery (“I’ll let you stay up late and watch TV if you let me do ...

As a safe adult, you have tremendous power to make a profound difference for children – not only by recognizing and responding to unsafe situations, but also by teaching children about their rights to safety and creating environments where they can speak up and get hel...

As we start the New Year and commemorate the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God, we remember that Mary’s life was devoted to the good care and protection of her Son and to lead all to God the Father. This season also reminds us, as parents and safe adults, of th...

Christmas is a popular time to decorate with candles and electric lights, both inside and out of the house. These decorations can be beautiful and festive but also come with the risk of fires. Parents should make sure to keep candles out of reach of children, and off s...

There is a third type of grooming: community grooming. In community grooming, a predator creates a controlled environment, projecting an image of a responsible, caring adult. They mimic the behavior of good people around them, to get closer to children and then select ...

This weekend, in solidarity with those who have been harmed, and as a visible demonstration of our ongoing commitment to the prevention of child sexual abuse, parishes throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles are dedicating a Mass and offering prayers in support of th...

The term “grooming” refers to the way in which a predator tries to mold and set up his victims and their families, in order to gain access to a child and cause harm, all while appearing innocent. The first of the three types of grooming is physical, and it involves tou...

Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. adults report living with some kind of disability, ranging from physical limitations to diminished mental capabilities. Misunderstandings and misconceptions about a person’s individual disabilities can put that person at risk for abuse. By adopting p...

With the rising use of AI, explicit nonconsensual images can be generated easily and without the victim’s knowledge. An offender now may not even need an explicit image to work from. When threatened with explicit AI-generated images being published or distributed onlin...

As children get older, they begin to form more peer relationships, and today this growth also coincides with having more opportunities for private communication through technology, especially with mobile phones. Young people are often uncomfortable talking to adults ab...