Sexual Online Grooming as an Object of Psychological Research

Sexual exploitation of children and adolescents has acquired new forms with development of the Internet. Sexual online grooming, or solicitation through the Internet, is one of such forms. The number of online grooming cases increases in Russia, but there is little research on this phenomenon. A few studies concern predominantly its prevalence and problems of joint forensic psychological-linguistic expertise of interactions between the groomer and the child. The range of research abroad is wider, from the structure of the grooming process, manipulative strategies and tactics of the offender to the factors influencing the child’s vulnerability. Special attention is paid to the linguistic features of the online grooming with the goal to develop computer systems for its detection. On the basis of the review of the modern studies the necessity of further interdisciplinary research of the online grooming is argued. It will provide new information for criminal psychology and victimology, promote forensic expertise and prevention of sexual crimes against children.