A new study from Adelaide University reveals that nearly two-thirds of Australian children between 10 and 17 received grooming-related messages from online strangers within a single year — a rate far exceeding what prior research had documented. The findings, published in Child Abuse & Neglect, illuminate not just the scale of the problem but its texture: predators often begin with the language of friendship, making their approach nearly indistinguishable from ordinary conversation. Perhaps most sobering is the discovery that standard protective tools — privacy settings, parental controls, age
Study finds nearly two-thirds of Australian children targeted by online grooming
Children are being targeted with sexual solicitation and grooming tactics online, with potential risks of exploitation and abuse.