This page will help you understand what child sexual abuse is, the role of grooming in creating opportunities for abuse, and signs a child or young person might be experiencing harm. You will also find videos and links to trusted resources so you can learn more and help keep children and young people safe.
Please read with care.
Learning about child sexual abuse and grooming can feel heavy, and it may bring up memories or feelings from past experiences or conversations. You don’t have to sit with that alone.
Support is available.
What is child sexual abuse?
Any sexual activity between a child and an adult is child sexual abuse.
- grooming (read more below)
- showing private parts or genitals
- making a child pose, undress, or do sexual acts
- talking to a child in a sexual way
- showing sexual pictures or videos
- making or sharing illegal pictures or videos of children (child exploitation material).
Child sexual abuse does not look like age-appropriate education and support relating to sex and relationships.
Child sexual abuse can happen in families, with people the child knows or does not know, in organisations, or online. It can happen once or many times.
When a child or young person (under 18 years old) causes sexual harm to another child or young person (also under 18 years old), this is often called 'harmful sexual behaviour' and is different to child sexual abuse.
Concerned about harmful sexual behaviour?
To learn more read About Harmful Sexual Behaviour from Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS).
If you are seeking support, SASS also offers the PAST Program (Prevention, Assessment, Support and Treatment). This statewide early‑intervention service supports children and young people who have engaged in harmful sexual behaviour, along with their families and carers.
Child sexual abuse is not an issue of the past.
The 2023 Australian Child Maltreatment Study found:
- more than 1 in 4 Australians have experienced child sexual abuse
- over 1 in 3 girls and almost 1 in 5 boys experience child sexual abuse
- for nearly 4 out of 5 children who were sexually abused, it happened more than once.
Learn more:
- Read: Child sexual abuse: Get the facts (National Office for Child Safety)
- Read: What is child sexual abuse? (practical tool) (National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse)
- Read: Who perpetrates child sexual abuse? (National Office for Child Safety)
What is online child sexual abuse?
Online child sexual abuse happens when someone harms a child or young person in a sexual way using the internet. This can include an adult who:
- Takes part in any online activity with a child that involves sexual content or sexual comments.
- Shares, or threatens to share, sexual images or videos of a child. These images are called child sexual exploitation material.
- Livestreams sexual activity or sexual conversations with a child, such as through a video call.
- Pressures or forces a child to livestream sexual activity or sexual conversations.
- Tries to groom a child.
- Blackmails a child who has already shared sexual content, demanding money, more images or videos, or sexual activity over video.
- Uses tricks or security breaches, like turning on a webcam without the child knowing, to watch them in private for sexual reasons.
Learn more:
- Read: Child sexual abuse online (eSafety Commissioner)
What are the signs of child sexual abuse?
Children and young people may show physical or emotional signs when they are upset or have been through trauma, including sexual abuse. Their age and stage of growth will affect how these signs appear. Some children who have been sexually abused may not show any clear signs. Learning about child sexual abuse and talking about it can help prevent and identify abuse.
Physical signs may include:
- headaches
- stomach aches
- wetting the bed
- changes in eating or weight
- nightmares or trouble sleeping
- bruises on soft body parts, like the bottom or thighs
- redness, swelling, or discharge in the genital area
- pain or burning when going to the toilet.
Emotional or behaviour changes may include:
- feeling sad, worried, or pulling away from others
- self-harm or thoughts of suicide
- poor hygiene or self-care
- using drugs or alcohol in harmful ways
- trying too hard to please others
- anger or aggression
- running away
- wearing baggy clothes to hide their body (de-sexualisation)
- eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia
- fear of certain people or places.
For very young children or children with disability, extra signs may include:
- new concerning behaviours like emotional outbursts, self-harm, or aggression
- losing skills they had before (skill regression)
- delays in speech, crawling, or walking (developmental delays)
- repetitive behaviours, like rocking or head banging (self-stimulatory behaviours).
Learn more:
- Read: Child sexual abuse in autistic children and teenagers: recognising, responding and reporting (Raising Children)
What is grooming?
Grooming is when a person uses intentional behaviours to manipulate and control a child, their family, carers, or organisations, so they can sexually abuse a child.
The person grooming a child might:
- pretend to be friendly or caring
- give gifts or compliments
- ask the child to keep secrets
- slowly introduce sexual talk or images.
The purpose of grooming can be to:
- get access to the child or young person
- get sexual pictures or videos of the child or young person
- gain the child’s trust or make them obey
- keep the child quiet
- avoid being caught.
Grooming can happen online or in person.
Online grooming is when someone builds a relationship with a child or young person on the internet to sexually abuse them, either online or in person. This can be done through phones, social media, games, chat rooms, or messaging apps.
Five important things to know about grooming.
- It is never the fault of the child or young person, no matter how they respond or what they do.
- Grooming can be hard to recognise because it can look like care, support, or helpful behaviour.
- Groomers often try to build trust not only with the child, but also with the adults around them.
- Grooming can happen even if no sexual abuse ever takes place.
- A person can sexually abuse a child without grooming them first.
Learn more:
- Read: Perpetrators and grooming (National Centre for Action on Child Sexual Abuse)
- Read: Grooming (National Office for Child Safety)
- Watch: About grooming – Information for child-related organisations (Office of the Children’s Guardian – New South Wales)
What are the signs of grooming
Knowing the signs of grooming can help protect children and young people from sexual abuse. A child or young person may show some or all of these signs:
- becoming unusually close to an older person
- having gifts or money they can’t explain
- being very secretive about their phone, internet, or social media use
- going missing for long periods
- appearing very tired, even at school
- lying about who they were with or where they went
- using drugs or alcohol
- taking a new name, having fake ID, a stolen passport or licence, or a new phone
- being picked up from school by an older or new friend.
Learn more about what to do if a child or young person tells you (discloses) about child sexual abuse or grooming