[Resource] Protecting Children from Online Grooming: Cross-cultural, qualitative and child-centred data to guide grooming prevention and response

This report presents findings from qualitative research with 604 children aged 8-18 years across seven countries (Australia, Cambodia, Colombia, Finland, Kenya, Philippines, and South Africa) to understand how they experience and respond to interactions with unknown people online. The study found that children routinely encounter unknown others online and employ sophisticated decision-making processes to assess potential risks and benefits. It also found that they face barriers to formal reporting and often rely on peers or family for support.

The report highlights children’s calls for better education, technical innovations, and support from adults to navigate online interactions safely and makes some key recommendations. It emphasises the need to balance protecting children from online harms with preserving opportunities for beneficial online engagement, and concludes that achieving this balance requires listening to children’s experiences and ideas to develop effective, context-appropriate interventions.

A child-friendly version of the report is also available.

Protecting Children from Online Grooming: Cross-cultural, qualitative and child-centred data to guide grooming prevention and response was published by Save the Children in 2024