Do child sex offenders focus their grooming only on their targeted child?

Child sex offenders typically do not limit their grooming behavior to just one targeted child; they often engage in grooming tactics with multiple children at the same time. This is because their objective is to establish trust and connections in various environments, which may include family members, friends, or other children in their vicinity. The grooming process can involve slowly manipulating the perceptions and feelings of both the child and those around them, making it easier to gain access to their victims.

Thus, the notion that they focus solely on one child underestimates their strategies and the scope of their predatory behavior. Offenders are often calculated and may utilize relationships with multiple children to find opportunities that facilitate their abusive actions. This broader focus allows them to create a network of trust, making it more difficult for individual victims or their families to recognize the threat.