A familiar name is no guarantee
Unwanted contact can come from a stranger or someone your child already knows. A profile, mutual friends or many friendly messages do not prove who is behind the screen.
Grooming means building trust to sexually exploit a child. The child may experience it as a friendship and find it difficult to recognise the manipulation.
Notice the demands
Pay attention if someone insists on secrecy, moves the conversation to private channels or pressures your child for intimate images. Gifts, guilt and threats can be used to push a child into something they do not want.
One sign does not establish someone’s intentions. Your child does not need to prove that something is dangerous before saying no or asking for help.
Do not give in to threats
If someone is blackmailing you, do not send more images or money. Get an adult’s help to stop contact and report it to the platform. Note the username, link and time without forwarding intimate images.
Help your child move forward
Tell your child they are not responsible for the blackmail. Avoid demanding every detail at once. Seek local specialist support for online abuse; serious threats may also need police involvement. SletDet provides guidance in Denmark.
A message check can prompt a conversation but cannot determine whether a person is grooming your child. Human support and appropriate specialist advice still matter.