Therapists & Trauma Specialists
Welcome, therapists, counselors, trauma specialists and advocates. We’re glad you’re here, and we’re here to support you as you care for people affected by sexual abuse, exploitation, trafficking and trauma.
Take your time and begin wherever you wish. You’ll find research, clinical training, trauma-informed courses, survivor-care guides, prevention resources and continuing learning designed to strengthen professional practice while supporting the people you serve.
You can also explore more videos and playlists on our YouTube channel.
For related SAR resources, visit Get Help Now, Global Reporting Contacts, or Children’s Resources.
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If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number.
Contents
Recognizing grooming
Research & clinical reading
Prevention resources for clients and families
Responding when a child tells
Reporting concerns and getting help
Clinical treatment & child sexual abuse training
Trauma-informed practice & self-care
Clinical & specialist courses
Working with people at risk of harming
Survivor care handbooks & guides
Webinars & continuing learning
Recognizing grooming
Grooming is the deceptive process an abuser uses to gain access to a child while avoiding detection and disclosure. Research led by Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic found grooming behaviors in 99% of the child sexual abuse cases survivors reported, so understanding it can support assessment, psychoeducation and prevention.
Warning signs
- An adult gives one child special attention, gifts, privileges or favoritism.
- They look for time alone with the child, such as offering rides, babysitting, private lessons or sleepovers.
- They ask the child to keep secrets, or call the relationship “special” or “just between us.”
- They test boundaries, for example with tickling, wrestling, lap-sitting, walking in while the child is changing or bathing, or sexual jokes passed off as “education.”
- They isolate the child from parents and friends and present themselves as the only person who really understands them.
- They befriend the parents or family and win their trust to get closer to the child.
- Online, an unknown contact asks lots of personal questions, moves the chat to a private or encrypted app, asks for photos, offers money or game credits, or threatens to share images (sextortion).
- With teens, it can look like an older “boyfriend” or “girlfriend,” gifts, alcohol or drugs, or flattering attention.
- Changes in the child: secretive phone or device use, new gifts or money, withdrawal, mood changes, or sexual knowledge beyond their age.
One sign on its own doesn’t prove abuse. A pattern of them is a reason to act.
Research & clinical reading
Sexual Grooming: Integrating Research, Practice, Prevention, and Policy
Visit website → From Georgia M. Winters and Elizabeth L. Jeglic, an academic book bringing together research on grooming with implications for practice, prevention and policy.
Does All Childhood Sexual Abuse Involve Sexual Grooming?
Visit website → From Elizabeth L. Jeglic, a summary of research on more than 1,000 survivors: grooming appeared in 99% of cases, with an average of 14 grooming behaviors per case.
Grooming series
Visit website → From the National Children’s Alliance’s One in Ten podcast, a four-episode series with Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic on red flag behaviors, whether parents can spot grooming, survivors’ insights and preventing misconduct in schools.
Prevention resources for clients and families
These resources can support psychoeducation with clients, parents, caregivers and young people, including conversations about grooming, online exploitation, warning signs and prevention.
Know2Protect
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a national campaign to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse, with tips for families, schools and communities.
Pledge2Protect
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, an invitation to learn about online child exploitation, help keep children safe and share prevention information with others.
Kids & Teens
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Know2Protect’s page for young people on staying safe online and what to do if someone makes them uncomfortable.
All Resources & Educational Materials
Visit website → From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Know2Protect tip sheets, guides and educational resources in one place, including materials for parents, educators and teens.
How Child Sexual Predators Groom Children
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 5-page fact sheet on how predators groom children, adults, families and whole communities to gain access, hide their actions and avoid being caught.
Preventing Grooming by Child Sexual Predators
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 9-page fact sheet with practical steps to recognize and interrupt grooming, and ideas for building children’s skills and confidence.
Warning Signs of Child Sexual Abuse
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 7-page fact sheet on physical and behavioral signs that a child may have been sexually abused, with resources for getting help.
Choosing Safe Adults: Friends & Family Caregivers
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, guidance to help parents consider which relatives and friends are safe to care for their child, including how offenders may operate and how adults interact with children.
Texting Safety
Visit website → From Michigan State University Extension, a free 7-page fact sheet on direct messaging in apps and games, digital footprints, sexting and cyberbullying, and how to talk with children about texting safely.
Lucy Faithfull Foundation — Our Services
Visit website → From the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, professional training, assessments and interventions for families, the Stop It Now UK helpline, Shore for teenagers, school support and research.
Darkness to Light — Our Story
Visit website → From Darkness to Light, information about the U.S. nonprofit’s work teaching adults to prevent child sexual abuse through training such as Stewards of Children.
Parenting in the Online World webinars
Visit website → From the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, free live Zoom sessions on trends seen through Cybertip.ca, with tips for talking with children and teens about online safety. Visit the website for current dates and language options.
Responding when a child tells
Disclosure can happen in the therapy room at any point, including partway through treatment. The same core principles apply to clinicians and to any adult: listen, believe, protect and bring in the right professionals.
Stay calm and listen
Keep your voice and face steady. Let the child lead and use their own words. Your role is to listen, not to investigate.
Believe and validate, without promises you can’t keep
Say “I believe you,” “It’s not your fault” and “You did the right thing by telling me.” Don’t promise to keep it a secret or that everything will be fine. Explain honestly that you may need to tell people whose job is to keep children safe.
Avoid blame and accusing questions
Questions like “Why did you…?” or “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” can sound like blame. If you need to ask anything, use open prompts such as “Can you tell me more?” and avoid leading questions.
Don’t make the child tell it again and again
Retelling can re-traumatize a child and weaken a later forensic interview. Write down what they said, in their exact words, with the date and time, and leave detailed questions to trained professionals.
Protect dignity, privacy and choice
Talk somewhere private. Share only with the people who need to know. Offer small choices, such as where to sit or whether to take a break, to give back some sense of control.
Expect disclosure to unfold over time
A child may tell only part of what happened, tell long afterwards, change details or take it back. This can occur in disclosures and does not by itself establish that the child was lying. Let them know they can always come back and talk to you.
Don’t confront the suspected offender
Never confront the person in front of the child, and don’t do it on your own. It can put the child at risk, lead to pressure to take back the disclosure and harm an investigation.
Know when and how to get help
If a child is in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency number. Otherwise, follow the child-protection and reporting procedures that apply in your jurisdiction. Know your mandated-reporting obligations and your agency’s protocol, and explain the limits of confidentiality at intake.
Quick reference
Say:
- “I believe you.”
- “It’s not your fault.”
- “You did the right thing by telling me.”
- “I’m going to get help from people whose job is to keep kids safe.”
Avoid:
- “Are you sure?”
- “Why didn’t you tell me before?”
- “I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
- Asking for details again and again
Hearing a disclosure is hard. Afterwards, take care of yourself and reach out for support too.
Reporting concerns and getting help
Where to report (U.S.)
- Immediate danger: call 911.
- Online enticement or sexual images of a child: NCMEC CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678.
- FBI: tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI.
- Worried about an adult’s behavior, including your own thoughts: Stop It Now helpline, 1-888-773-8368.
Outside the U.S., contact the appropriate local child-protection, law-enforcement or emergency authority.
Clinical treatment & child sexual abuse training
TF-CBT Web 2.0
Visit website → From the Medical University of South Carolina, an online course in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for children and teens: 11 modules and 11 CE contact hours for $35.
Child Sexual Abuse courses
Visit website → From the NCTSN Learning Center, free webinars with CE certificates from the NCTSN Child Sexual Abuse Committee, including Reducing the Risk of Child Sexual Abuse and When NO Is Not Enough. A free account is required.
Sexual Abuse: resources for professionals
Visit website → From the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, an overview of how child sexual abuse affects children, evidence-based treatments and professional training, with links to fact sheets for families.
Trauma-informed practice & self-care
Trauma 101
Visit website → From Our Rescue, a free 45-minute course on the “Four R’s” of trauma-informed care. Helps participants avoid re-traumatizing survivors and build trust.
Vicarious Trauma
Visit website → From Our Rescue, a free 25-minute course for clinicians, social workers and first responders on the emotional toll of trauma work. Includes a resilience worksheet.
Psychological First Aid
Visit website → From Our Rescue, a free 30-minute course on calm, person-centered support for anyone in distress. No counseling credentials are needed, and a PFA toolkit is included.
Ally (Victim Advocate Training)
Visit website → From Safe House Project, self-paced advocate training (13–16 hours, $275, certificate) for educators, healthcare providers, faith leaders and volunteers. Covers disclosures, mandatory reporting and safety planning.
CORE
Visit website → From Safe House Project, a 13-session trauma-informed training for direct-care staff in safe homes and aftercare programs, designed to build consistent, survivor-centered care.
Healing and Safety Toolkit
Visit website → From the Brave Movement, trauma-informed resources for survivors and advocates, including how to design safe meetings and prepare for advocacy. Created by survivors.
Clinical & specialist courses
Training courses (catalog)
Visit website → From the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a full list of UK professional courses on child sexual abuse, exploitation and harmful sexual behaviour.
Child Sexual Abuse Awareness
Visit website → From the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, an entry-level online course on how abuse happens, warning signs and prevention. The supplied source lists group booking for up to 20 at £1,300 + VAT.
Understanding & Preventing Online Child Sexual Abuse
Visit website → From the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a professional online course for social workers, police, therapists and prison staff on the psychology and dynamics of online abuse. The supplied source lists £1,300 + VAT.
Caring for Children Who Display Harmful Sexual Behaviour
Visit website → From the Lucy Faithfull Foundation, a trauma-informed online course for foster and residential carers. The supplied source lists £1,300 + VAT for up to 20 people and includes practical safety planning.
Participatory Action Research with Children – Training Manual
Visit website → From ECPAT International, a free facilitator manual providing about 30 hours of training for preparing young people ages 13–18 to research sexual exploitation in their communities, with activities and safeguarding tools.
Working with people at risk of harming
ReDirection Self-Help Program
Visit website → From Protect Children in Finland, a free, anonymous CBT-based program to help people stop viewing child sexual abuse material, available in nine languages. Professionals can also use it with clients.
CHOICE – A Program for Men
Visit website → From KAFA in Lebanon, counseling and group work helping men who have used violence change their behavior, alongside community sessions on masculinity and equality.
Survivor care handbooks & guides
Holistic Care Handbook
Visit website → From the Mukwege Foundation, a free handbook on the Panzi model of medical, psychological, legal and economic care for survivors. The source notes that it is also available in five other languages.
Practical Guide: Survivor-Centred Approach
Visit website → From the Mukwege Foundation, a free guide to placing survivors of conflict-related sexual violence at the center of programs and care, built around the principle “Nothing about us, without us.”
Survivor-Centred Holistic Care course (French)
Visit website → From the Mukwege Foundation, a free self-paced introduction to conflict-related sexual violence and holistic, survivor-centred response. A free Kaya account is needed to take the course.
Resource Center
Visit website → From ABAAD, free manuals including an MHPSS Training Pack, a Gender Training Manual for Trainers and a children’s gender toolkit for ages 8–11. Resources are available in Arabic, English and French.
Webinars & continuing learning
Connected for Freedom
Visit website → From Unbound Now, a free virtual training series for professionals, faith communities and service providers. Past sessions are available as recordings with key-takeaway PDFs.
Policy Webinars
Visit website → From the Joyful Heart Foundation, expert webinars on survivor-centered policy, including image-based abuse and the rape-kit backlog. Past sessions can be watched online.
Virtual Book Club
Visit website → From the Joyful Heart Foundation, author conversations on healing, resilience and justice, with information about upcoming events available through the organization’s mailing list.
All links in the supplied source were checked September 28, 2026.