Putting a stop to online child sexual grooming

The Star

03-06-2025

In recent times, we have witnessed an unsettling surge in cases of child sexual grooming linked to social media platforms.
Beneath the glossy facade of influencer culture lies a growing epidemic that preys on children.
The Malaysian Mental Health Association believes it is time we recognise this as a national concern.
This is not just a digital safety issue; it is a child protection crisis.
Social media influencers now wield more power over young minds than teachers or parents.
They produce content that is aspirational and intimate.
For children and teens, this creates a dangerous illusion of closeness and trust.
Just recently, a social media influencer was arrested and remanded for four days to assist in an investigation regarding allegations of sending obscene pictures to a teenage girl.
According to Bukit Aman's Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division, over 30% of all child sexual grooming cases received by police involved social media influencers or public figures.
Police say offenders often use their online popularity to build trust with victims before allegedly committing indecent acts.
Clearly, the very platforms that gave these individuals reach also gave them unfiltered access to their victims.
A need for validation
Adolescents are neurologically wired for risk-taking and a desire for novelty.
The teenage brain, particularly the prefrontal cortex that is responsible for judgement and impulse control, is still in the process of maturation and development throughout adolescence.
Social media's dopamine-driven algorithms lead children to crave validation and social connection at any cost.
A 2020 United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) report indicates that 91% of Malaysian children aged 13 to 17 use the internet daily, including social media, with 70% having been exposed to disturbing content.
Another study by Unicef Malaysia in 2021 showed that 4% of children aged 12 to 17 who use the internet face threats of online sexual exploitation and abuse.
Children who feel emotionally neglected, face bullying or are socially isolated are particularly vulnerable.
To them, the attention of a popular influencer feels like salvation until it turns into control, manipulation or abuse.
Potentially-severe consequences
The psychological toll of online grooming is overwhelming.
Victims of grooming and online sexual exploitation frequently experience persistent sadness, hopelessness and low self-esteem.
These may trigger anxiety and panic disorders.
In some instances, children may develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is characterised by intrusive memories, nightmares, dissociation and emotional numbing.
Many of these symptoms may be invisible to others, but to the victims, they can be immensely disabling.
A tragically-common response when shame outweighs coping resources is self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Many victims never disclose what happened and the grooming never comes to light.
Victims are afraid to speak up.
The influencer may be a highly influential public figure who is widely adored.
Victims fear judgement, disbelief, shame, being blamed for 'leading on' the adult and/or retaliation from the influencer, particularly if the influencer is well-known or admired in the community.
The 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) showed that a significant portion of adolescents were affected by mental health concerns.
Specifically, one in four adolescents experienced depression symptoms, and 7.9% reported having suicidal thoughts.
These findings highlight a concerning trend in adolescent mental health in Malaysia.
Though these figures are not all attributable to grooming, online exploitation could be a significant, underreported contributor.
Mental health support is also not always accessible.
The shortage of clinical psychologists and trauma-informed therapists in Malaysia makes it difficult for survivors to receive timely, appropriate care.
While services like Talian Kasih (15999) and Talian HEAL (1-5555) provide some frontline support, there is still a long way to go in making trauma services available, affordable and stigma-free.
Legal protection, difficult enforcement
Defined as the process of establishing a relationship with a child to sexually exploit them, child grooming is a grave violation of a child's rights and dignity.
The Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) comprehensively addresses this conduct by criminalising various acts associated with grooming, thereby providing a legal framework to prosecute offenders and protect vulnerable children.
However, there are gaps in enforcement and digital oversight.
Groomers often operate across jurisdictions, and enforcement agencies struggle to keep pace with encrypted chats, disappearing messages or apps with little data retention.
Even when complaints are lodged, investigations can take a considerable amount of time, allowing the influencer to continue posting, gather followers and potentially groom more victims.
The influencer ecosystem in Malaysia remains largely unregulated.
Vetting influencer behaviour, monitoring content aimed at minors, or penalising misconduct seem wanting.
Technology companies operating in Malaysia should enhance their response times to promptly address take-down requests or address child safety concerns.
What can we do?
Malaysia must rise to this challenge with a united front involving parents, schools, platforms, influencers, civil society and the government.
Influencers who produce content for, or feature, children must be subject to professional codes of conduct, background checks and platform-specific moderation.
Any breach related to child endangerment must result in swift account suspension and legal action.
All Malaysian schools should include age-appropriate modules on digital safety, grooming awareness and online boundaries.
This is as essential as any other subject taught in our schools.
We must invest in child and adolescent mental health services.
The government must encourage trauma-informed training for school counsellors and continue to increase the number of clinical psychologists in the public sector.
Subsidised care, such as that offered by the Malaysian Mental Health Association (Helpline 03-2780 6803 or email [e-mail]), should also be made available to grooming survivors by other non-governmental bodies.
The government should increase public awareness of the excellent service offered by Talian Kasih (15999) and the Cyber999 complaint channel provided by CyberSecurity Malaysia. Reporting mechanisms must be child-friendly and confidential, and followed by immediate support.
Social media companies operating in Malaysia must be legally required to implement child protection tools, including AI-based grooming detection and proactive removal of grooming content.
Hopefully, this is topmost on the agenda of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Influence for good
The voice of responsible influencers in Malaysia is crucial.
They shape the culture, trends and digital norms of our society.
They should utilise their platforms to call out grooming, educate their followers and stand in solidarity with survivors.
If influencers feature children in their content, they should also protect them, not just physically, but emotionally and psychologically as well.
To the popular influencers out there, we say: 'Your audience includes impressionable young people.
'Influence them toward dignity, respect and empowerment, not harm.'
Every child has the right to grow up free from fear and abuse, whether offline or online, and every adult must ensure that right is protected.
We can no longer afford to treat grooming as a rare or foreign concept.
It is happening here, on Malaysian soil, on Malaysian phones, and often under the guise of 'likes' and 'followers'.
There must be accountability for those who exploit their influence.
Datuk Dr Andrew Mohanraj is a consultant psychiatrist and the Malaysian Mental Health Association president. For more information, email [e-mail]. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and it should not be construed as personal medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this column. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.