What is the term for when someone builds a relationship with a child online for harmful intentions?

Child grooming refers to the process in which an adult builds a relationship with a child through the internet with the intention of exploiting or abusing them. This often involves establishing trust, manipulating the child’s feelings, and gradually progressing towards harmful actions, such as sexual exploitation. Groomers may use various tactics, including providing emotional support, gifts, or attention, to create a bond and lower the child's defenses.

In contrast, cyberbullying typically involves aggressive behavior where one individual targets another with the intent to harm them emotionally or psychologically, often within the same age group. Online harassment shares similarities but often involves repeated and malicious actions that intimidate or humiliate someone, whereas grooming is specifically aimed at preparing a child for exploitation.

The term internet predator can also describe someone who targets children online; however, grooming emphasizes the manipulative and gradual nature of forming that harmful relationship. Therefore, child grooming is the most precise terminology to represent the act of creating a connection with a child online for malicious purposes.