Those who exploit children and young people use many different ways to develop their control of another person. Often exploiters will look for vulnerabilities in their victims such as age or isolation and using the internet is a common way of sexually grooming young people. There is no length of time this process takes in abusers gaining control over another person. At times exploiters will work hard to trick or use ways to gain the trust of their victims. However, in other circumstances victims are controlled very quickly when threats of violence or intimidation may be used.
Exploitation process persuading methods include:
- Offering free gifts including, money, clothes, mobile phones, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, bicycles, and food.
- Offering affection or offering friendship or being their mate to gain trust.
- Offering protection or safety, a place to stay or somewhere to sleep.
- Paying off debts.
- Providing lifts in cars.
- Deceiving someone to send naked or indecent pictures of themselves but telling their victims not to worry about this.
- The exploiter/perpetrator claims that the relationship they have is genuine or real and/or loving. This may be just one way of gaining trust as well as deterring others who maybe suspicious.