An Analysis of Sexual Grooming in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse by Educators
Abstract
There is growing recognition that educator sexual misconduct is prevalent in kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools. While there is some evidence that educators may use sexual grooming in the abuse process, this has yet to be systematically examined. The present study aimed to investigate the extent to which adult survivors of educator-perpetrated child sexual abuse (CSA) reported experiencing sexual grooming behaviors. As part of a larger anonymous online survey of characteristics of CSA, 24 adult survivors who reported that the perpetrator was an educator responded to questions about the characteristics of their abuse, including whether they experienced sexual grooming behaviors as delineated by the content-validated Sexual Grooming Model. The results showed that sexual grooming behaviors were frequently reported across all stages of the sexual grooming process. The most commonly reported behaviors included that the educator was involved in youth-serving organizations (92%), selected a child who was overly compliant/trusting of adults (83%), was charming/likable/nice (71%), gave the child a lot of attention (67%), used seemingly innocent touch (67%), and used accidental touching or distraction while touching (67%). We also found that most of the abuse occurred on school property during the school day while school was in session, and that one third of the educators who perpetrated the CSA were gym teachers or coaches. The findings are discussed as they relate to policies for the prevention of child sexual abuse within educational settings.
Description
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Article
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Keywords
educator sexual misconduct, grooming, manipulation, compliance, grooming process, behaviors
Citation
Jeglic, E., & Winters, G. M. (2024). An Analysis of Sexual Grooming in Cases of Child Sexual Abuse by Educators. Available at SSRN 4776718.