Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes

Adolescent Research Review https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-024-00248-w Cybergrooming Victimization Among Young People: A Systematic Review of Prevalence Rates, Risk Factors, and Outcomes Catherine Schittenhelm1 · Maxime Kops1 · Maeve Moosburner2 · Saskia M. Fischer3,4 · Sebastian Wachs1 Received: 26 June 2024 / Accepted: 26 August 2024 © The Author(s) 2024 Abstract Adolescence is marked by a unique blend of factors, including adolescents’ exploration of their emerging sexuality and growing engagement with digital media. As adolescents increasingly navigate online spaces, cybergrooming victimization has emerged as a significant concern for the development and protection of young people. Yet, there is a lack of systematic analyses of the current state of research. To this end, the present systematic review aimed to integrate existing quantitative research on prevalence rates, risk factors, and outcomes of cybergrooming victimization, informed by an adaptation of the General Aggression Model. Studies providing self-reported data on cybergrooming victimization of people between the ages of 5 and 21 were included. A total of 34 studies met all inclusion criteria, with most focusing on adolescence. Reported prevalence rates were characterized by strong heterogeneity, which could largely be attributed to the underlying methodology. Overall, the included studies showed that at least one in ten young people experiences cybergrooming victimization. Findings further indicated that various factors, for example, being a girl, being older, engaging in risky behavior, displaying problematic Internet use, reporting lower mental well-being, and experiencing other types of victimization, are positively associated with cybergrooming victimization. However, most studies’ cross-sectional designs did not allow for an evidencebased classification into risk factors, outcomes, and co-occurrences, so findings were embedded in the proposed model based on theoretical considerations. In addition, there is a noted lack of studies that include diverse samples, particularly younger children, LGBTQIA+ youth, and young people with special educational needs. These findings emphasize that cybergrooming victimization is a prevalent phenomenon among young people that requires prevention and victim support addressing multiple domains. Keywords Cybergrooming · Online grooming · Cyber victimization · Sexual victimization · Adolescence · Systematic review Introduction Saskia M. Fischer and Sebastian Wachs have contributed equally to the supervision of the review process and share the last authorship. * Catherine Schittenhelm 1 Institute of Education, University of Münster, Münster, Germany 2 Centre for Criminology, Wiesbaden, Germany 3 Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Health Sciences, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Senftenberg, Germany 4 Faculty of Applied Social Sciences, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences, Wiesbaden, Germany The diversity of easily accessible online platforms and the ubiquity of the Internet in young people’s lives expose them to various online risks. This includes cybergrooming as a form of sexual victimization that may adversely impact young people’s well-being and psychosocial development. Although research syntheses on various aspects of cybergrooming exist (e.g., Broome et al., 2018; Whittle et al., 2013a), reviews specifically on prevalence rates and risk factors of cybergrooming victimization were narrative rather than systematic, while reviews on outcomes have not been conducted at all. Furthermore, no theoretical model has yet been applied to the complex of risk factors, cybergrooming victimization, and outcomes. The present study addresses these desiderata by systematically reviewing prevalence Vol.:(0123456789) Adolescent Research Review rates, risk factors, and outcomes of cybergrooming victimization embedded in an adaptation of the General Aggression Model (Anderson & Bushman, 2002; Kowalski et al., 2014). Definition and Relevance of Cybergrooming Information and communication technologies are deeply ingrained in the daily lives of young people. More specifically, social media networks, online games, chat platforms, and e-learning platforms allow young people to foster social contacts with peers, access information, and engage in learning and entertainment activities. However, alongside these benefits, the Internet also poses potential risks for young people. For instance, they may experience sexual victimization online (Bozzola et al., 2022; Livingstone & Smith, 2014), facilitated by the anonymity, accessibility, and affordability characterizing information and communication technologies (Cooper, 1998). In this context, cybergrooming has received increasing attention in research in recent years. Although there is some variation in the applied definitions of cybergrooming, a common overlap of core aspects of the phenomenon can be observed, namely (1) minors are targeted, (2) perpetrators use information and communication technologies to establish contact, (3) the process serves sexual purposes, and (4) some kind of relationship between perpetrator and victim is built (e.g., Kloess et al., 2014; Wachs, 2014; Webster et al., 2012; Whittle et al., 2013a). Thus, cybergrooming can be defined as a process through which a person, usually an adult, establishes a sexually exploitative relationship with a minor using information and communication technologies (Webster et al., 2012; Whittle et al., 2013a). Importantly, cybergrooming is not to be equated with sexual abuse but instead refers to a psychologically manipulative process that targets and may result in online and/or offline sexual abuse (Pasca et al., 2022). It can be argued that adolescence is a particularly vulnerable phase for cybergrooming victimization. First, in late childhood and adolescence, in particular, online behavior changes as the use of apps and platforms to interact with others, such as WhatsApp, Instagram, and Snapchat, becomes more pronounced (e.g., Feierabend et al., 2022, 2023; Shi et al., 2024), providing perpetrators with more opportunities to connect. Second, adolescents explore their sexuality as a natural process (Tolman & McClelland, 2011), involving the development of a sexual identity, search for guidance, and onset of sexual activities. During this process, adolescents use information and communication technologies as a means of exploring and expressing their sexuality (e.g., Eleuteri et al., 2017; Lemke & Rogers, 2020). Thus, adolescents are increasingly interested in sexual matters in the offline and online world, which might make them more vulnerable to sexual advances from cybergroomers. Therefore, increased social Internet use and sexual curiosity may enhance adolescents’ exposure risk to cybergrooming. Third, it was pointed out that hebephilia, i.e., a sexual preference for adolescents, may be more widespread among online sexual offende (...truncated)