"And then he wanted nude photos": How can I protect my child from cybergrooming?

Social media such as TikTok or Instagram as well as messenger services and online games are important digital spaces for children and young people in their development. They can exchange ideas, try things out and develop their own interests.

However, the use of different online media also entails different risks. One of the risks that children and young people are exposed to on the internet is experiencing sexualized violence. For example, adolescents can quickly come into unwanted contact with inappropriate and highly sexualized content, be sexually harassed or suffer sexual abuse.

The preparation of sexual abuse of children and young people on the internet is known as cybergrooming. The aim is to get adolescents to send intimate recordings of themselves, for example, or to carry out sexual acts in livestreams. In some cases, the perpetrators also want to arrange real-life meetings in order to abuse the victims outside of the internet.

What do parents and guardians need to know about cybergrooming and how can they protect their children from it? What advice and support services are available and what can parents do if children are affected by cybergrooming? The EU initiative klicksafe provides information on this at the online parents' evening "And then he wanted nude photos": How can I protect my child from cybergrooming?".

How to register for the online parents' evening

Participation is free of charge. Registration is possible until Friday, May 2, 2025 at the latest, or as long as there are places available. You will receive the access link for the online event directly after registration via the Zoom registration link below. When registering, please be sure to check the e-mail address you entered and , if necessary, your spam folder after registration. If you have any questions, please send an e-mail to: webseminar☞ Please insert an @ here ☜klicksafe☞ Please insert a dot here ☜de

Registration link: https://eu01web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZR6efs0ARbCOY_JXIXlevA#/registration

Important information about the event:

• This event deals with the topic of sexual violence against minors in the form of cybergrooming. Among other things, different strategies of perpetrators will be discussed with the help of concrete case studies. If possible, please make sure that there are no younger children in your immediate vicinity during the lecture.
• Due to the size of the event, it will not be possible to join in with a camera and microphone. However, you can participate in the chat at any time and ask questions there. We will allow sufficient time for this.

The event is being held in cooperation with the Child Protection / Early Help Network Coordination as part of the "Don't push your thoughts away" campaign week in the district of Mainz-Bingen from 5-9 May to protect children and young people from sexualized violence. The online parents' evening is open to all parents, professionals and interested parties nationwide, including beyond the Mainz-Bingen district.

"Nicht wegschieben" is a nationwide initiative of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ) and the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM).