meet, a child with the intention of committing a sexual assault, if he has met or communicated with that child on at least two earlier occasions" (McAlinden, 2006, p. 342). However, as Gillespie (2004) noted, definitional problems with the construct of grooming limit the use of this law, as grooming is

nter, Hughes, and Kirby 1998). Grooming refers to the behaviors that an offender employs in preparation for committing sexual abuse against a child (McAlinden 2006). While several definitions of grooming have been suggested, one of the most specific and comprehensive explanations was proposed by Craven, B

meet, a child with the intention of committing a sexual assault, if he has met or communicated with that child on at least two earlier occasions" (McAlinden, 2006, p. 342). However, as Gillespie (2004) noted, definitional problems with the construct of grooming limit the use of this law, as grooming is

5; Kierkegaard 2008; Lanning 2018; Salter 1995). Research on sexual grooming started to proliferate in the 2000s (Craven, Brown, and Gilchrist 2006; McAlinden 2007), but it was not until 2011 following the arrest of Pennsylvania State University assistant football coach, Jerry Sandusky, for numerous count

d specific behaviors that are involved in the process. Sexual grooming Sexual grooming has become synonymous with CSA in the past several decades (McAlinden, 2013). The goals of grooming are to gain initial coopera- tion of the victim, decrease the likelihood of discovery, and increase the likelihood of