Grooming and Child Safety: Technology Assisted Reporting and Data System

The project investigated the grooming of children for abuse and exploitation, including issues such as child sexual abuse and exploitation, drug dealing, and terrorism. It found that these activities were often underreported, leading to a limited understanding of their scope and the techniques used to carry them out. This lack of awareness resulted in inadequate resource allocation and ineffective policies.

Grooming behaviors were found to occur both in person and online. The rise of digital privacy laws and end-to-end encryption was identified as a challenge for detecting online grooming, making it harder for technology companies to intervene.

To address these challenges, the project emphasized the importance of encouraging children and families to report crimes or harmful activities. This reporting was crucial for informing law enforcement, developing policies, launching educational campaigns, and creating AI-based and data-driven solutions.

The team proposed building solutions to overcome existing barriers, aiming to increase reporting rates in communities and ultimately reduce harm to children.