Lack of awareness among reasons for low reporting of child grooming 

'Victims often experience shame, guilt, and fear, frequently instilled by the perpetrator, leading to silence and delayed disclosures,' the research says.

Shame and fear among children who are being groomed, together with a lack of awareness among adults and inadequate training among frontline professionals, is resulting in “persistent underreporting” of the problem, according to Irish research.

The study says child grooming is a “pervasive yet often hidden” issue in society that is not brought to the attention of authorities due to the “secrecy and psychological control” exerted by perpetrators.

“Victims often experience shame, guilt, and fear, frequently instilled by the perpetrator, leading to silence and delayed disclosures,” the research says.

These psychological barriers are compounded by systemic factors: Studies highlight a widespread lack of awareness among adults, insufficient training among professionals, and inconsistent institutional responses.

The report was conducted by TU Dublin, the ISPCC, and Trinity College Dublin. It says stigma and “fears of social judgement”, particularly in closeknit communities, further discourage victims.

The research is part of a wider project, GroSafe, led by TU Dublin in partnership with the ISPCC and funded by Research Ireland.

It aims to provide the foundations for setting up “more effective interventions” for children.

Grooming is typically a “gradual process”, according to the report, but international research by WeProtect Global Alliance found in some gaming situations, “high-risk grooming conversations have been observed to begin within just 19 [seconds], with an average escalation time of approximately 45 minutes”.

The report says the CyberSafeKids 2025 survey found 28% of young children and 26% of teenagers report being upset or distressed by harmful content or unsolicited contact.

This often involved “horror, violence, sexual material, threats, scams, or dangerous challenges”.

Some 41% of teenagers reported online contact with people they never met in person, and 34% had shared personal images.

“Victims frequently suffer severe and long-term impacts, including trauma, depression, and self-harm,” states the report.

Researchers conducted interviews with 33 professionals working in law enforcement, education, social services, and advocacy.

Frontline workers said knowledge and awareness of child grooming was a major issue. Lack of resources was cited by law enforcement and frontline professionals as the biggest issue.