Development of the Trauma Research Institute Grooming Scale for Educational Settings (TRIGS-E)

Sexual grooming, a common facet of sexual abuse, involves preparing a child for abuse by gaining emotional and/or physical access. However, definitions of sexual grooming vary. The lack of consensus among experts contributes to the difficulty in identifying behaviors that are solely characteristic of sexual groomers, as opposed to behaviors in which a well-intentioned individual might also engage. There are various models and measures that attempt to define sexual grooming after the fact; however, a forensic measure to better detect the likelihood of grooming is necessary for improved prevention. Given that children spend the majority of their time away from home at school, we chose to focus on the educational setting. The current project is an initial stage in the development of the Trauma Research Institute Grooming Scale (TRIGS) and is intended for use in the assessment phase of a clinical or forensic assessment or investigation. The present study of 99 psychologists and educational professionals confirmed the presence of two subcategories of grooming behavior: Desensitization (DS) and Relationship Enhancement (RE). Results demonstrated DS behaviors as more clearly indicative of grooming, whereas RE behaviors were not only less likely to be identified as definite grooming indicators but also produced less agreement as to which items within this category should be seen as problematic. Additionally, all DS behaviors were consensually identified as "red flags" or reportable to an administrator, whereas only a little over a quarter of RE behaviors were seen as such. The initial findings of the TRIGS provide strong evidence for the two distinct categories of grooming behaviors and hold promise for prevention efforts against sexual grooming in schools.