When we talk about the gender-based violence pandemic in South Africa, we often do not talk about sexual grooming and how it plays a role in rape culture. Child Grooming is an offense where an adult subjects a child to psychological manipulation and violation of their developing sexuality. A perpetrator will make use of their adult authority or economic resources to draw a child into a relationship that is for the benefit of the perpetrator’s sexual desires. Children can fall victim to sexual grooming in their family homes, at their schools, in their churches and even online. In a 2022 report done by UNICEF and Interpol, 7% and 9% of children aged 12-17 years using the internet experienced sexual abuse, gifts in exchange for sexual favours, and blackmail. While there are legal provisions (Sexual Offences Act 32 of 2007) for sexual grooming, some experts believe that it should be a stand-alone offence in order to establish the lack of consent or vulnerability of the child and be considered a factor when establishing a sentence for the crime committed. In this hour, we wanted to help parents pick up the signs if their child has been affected, and how we can help our children find the vocabulary to express their discomfort. To help us navigate this concerning issue, we are joined by…   

Guest: Bulelwa Adonis - Spokesperson for Women for Change

Guest:  Sandile Useni - Legal Officer at the Commission for Gender Equality (Mpumalanga)

Guest:  Dr Shaheeda Omar - Clinical Director from the Teddybear Foundation