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SAFEGUARDING-BASICS5 MIN READ

Grooming Signals Are Patterns

Recognize grooming as a sequence of boundary and secrecy signals

A mentor gives one teenager extra attention, private jokes, small gifts, and late-night supportive messages. Grooming concern = access plus boundary testing plus secrecy or dependency. Looking for one dramatic incident misses the cumulative pattern. Before The team sees each act as kindness: a snack, a lift, a message, a private pep talk. After The team records the pattern: special access, gifts, private contact, secrecy language, and dependency. Access Map who is getting unusual one-to-one access. Grooming often starts by creating opportunities others do not see. Boundary test Name the rule being bent: gifts, transport, messaging, private spaces. The issue…

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