Detecting online grooming at its earliest stages: development and validation of the Online Grooming Risk Scale

Detecting online grooming at its earliest stages: development and validation of the Online Grooming Risk Scale

Blog Article

Backgrounds: Among the problematic online behaviours, online grooming, that is, a manipulative process leading to sexual solicitation between an adult and a minor, is receiving increasing attention.However, most of the studies come from qualitative data, confirming that a formalized measurement tool is still missing.Moreover, online grooming measurement mostly relies on its latest, advanced stages, when Football - Balls the abuse and the actual exchange of sexual material has already occurred and reported to the authorities.The aim of the present study is to develop and validate a measurement instrument grasping the earlier stages of the phenomenon.Methods: The psychometric properties of the Online Grooming Risk (henceforth, OGR) scale were assessed in a validation study conducted on 316 adolescents, and its location within a network of psychological constructs relevant to the literature was examined with a non-parametric approach, the Structural Equation Modeling based on Partial Least Squares.

Results: Results confirmed reliability and validity of the OGR scale.Moreover, its association with both protective (e.g., a good family support) and risk antecedents (e.g.

, low self-esteem), as well as with the development of clearly sexualized references, seems also confirmed.Conclusions: The OGR tool configures itself as a useful resource in perspective of an early detection Kukui Nut of online grooming.The study also highlights the protective role of family support and low self-esteem as a significant risk factor.