2024-02-13 17:08:00
The worst was avoided when a 13-year-old girl from Brussels ran away to France to find her “boyfriend” she met on the Internet. The teenager, calm and studious by nature, did not have access to the internet at home. She therefore accessed the web outside the home, using external resources, without her parents being aware.
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The young man met on social networks claimed to be seventeen when he was nineteen. Seduced and feeling confident with the stranger, she left with him after a music class on February 3. She then followed him to France, thinking she had found the man of her life and was ready to leave the family home, indicates a press release from the police zone concerned.
After analysis, it turned out that the young man was known to the police in France for rape of a vulnerable person. The teenager was able to be saved in time. Following this fact, the police services wish to once again draw the attention of young people and parents to the dangerousness of online dating and the existence of cyberpredation.
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In 2022, 36 grooming incidents were recorded in Belgium. A number which is in reality much higher, not all cases being recorded. “Grooming is a process by which an adult intentionally approaches a minor and manipulates them for sexual purposes,” explains Selyna Ayuso Ferrandiz, public relations manager at Child Focus. “The goal may be to obtain a meeting in order to actually commit sexual abuse, but in some cases it is simply conversations or exchanges of images of a sexual nature. In 80% of cases, the victims were girls, almost always under the age of 16.”
The groomers also go online, where the children are. This can be social media, but also gaming platforms such as Fortnite or Roblox. “As new applications and many popular games constantly enter the market, it has become particularly important to raise awareness and arm young people against possible risks,” she continues.
It is therefore recommended that parents take an interest in their child’s digital life, without prejudice. “We should be interested in the platforms that the child frequents, with whom he speaks. The goal is to have open communication without judgment. You should also watch who he is talking to. With video games, anyone can chat with a stranger. But the conversation must remain within the framework of the game and not spill over into private life. So, it becomes problematic,” continues Selyna Ayuso Ferrandiz.
In December 2022, Child Focus released an online game aimed at raising awareness of the issue of grooming: OK Groomer. This universe includes 3 mini-games inviting children to acquire the right reflexes in the event of a groomer approaching. This prevention game is available for free on the Roblox platform, popular with children aged 8 to 14. Since its launch, nearly 9,000 people have already used this platform.
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