DEVELOPMENT OF PREVENTIVE MEASURES AGAINST CHILD SEXUAL HARASSMENT VICTIMIZATION: A CASE STUDY OF CHILD GROOMING

Abstract

This study aims to examine the factors contributing to children’s vulnerability to sexual harassment in cases of child grooming for sexual purposes, to analyze Thailand’s preventive measures addressing child grooming, and to propose guidelines for improving preventive measures against child sexual harassment related to child grooming. This qualitative study employed in-depth interviews with 15 key informants, including practitioners, administrators, and representatives from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or academic experts in the fields of child protection and the justice system. The findings reveal that children’s vulnerability to sexual harassment through child grooming results from multiple factors, including individual child characteristics, family-related factors, perpetrator-related factors, technology and online media, and social and cultural contexts. The study also found that Thailand’s current preventive measures are insufficient to effectively address child grooming, with limitations in five key areas policies and preventive measures, legal frameworks, personnel and responsible agencies, social participation, and public communication. The study recommends strengthening preventive measures through the enhancement of targeted policies and specific legal frameworks, capacity building for relevant personnel, the development of standardized operational tools, the promotion of community and societal participation, and the application of digital technologies for proactive prevention in the digital society context.