09-05-2025
Computer game to spot the signs of online grooming to be rolled out in schools next term
A new computer game designed to spot the key signs of online grooming is being developed for roll-out for in-class teaching.
The game is being designed under the Grosafe project in a partnership between the ISPCC and TU (Technological University) Dublin, funded by Research Ireland. It has been trialed in a small number of schools and the current phase of development is set to be completed by September.
Fiona Jennings, ISPCC Head of Policy and Public Affairs, said the project is specially focused on 'how children and young people are groomed into criminality or for sexual exploitation purposes'.
She explained: 'At the moment, by the end of this phase which will be around September, we are hoping that we will have further enhancements done to the digital game which we are trying to align with the SPHE outcomes as well for post primary schools.'
She said the game will be made available free to schools, enabling teachers to use it in their SPHE classes.
Ms Jennings said: 'We have been part of this research project since June 2023 and what we are trying to develop out of that is an in-classroom digital game through which children and young people will be offered education in terms of how to spot red flags for grooming.
'We have done brilliant school trials and co-created it with children and young people and they have been really receptive to that in terms of sharing their thoughts and ideas with us of how to create it.'
She said the game will feature a reporting and chatbot function. She added: 'We are also developing a knowledge management system which I think will be really, really crucial.
"What we have found from our stake holder engagement - we interviewed people on the frontline, frontline practitioners, State organisations, academics – is that one of the recurring things that kept coming up was how people struggle to identify what grooming behaviour looks like and if they do identify it, they don't know what to do with that.
"So the knowledge management system would allow for practitioners to be able to log or upload some examples to help build a national picture as to what grooming in Ireland is like.'
She pointed to the DRIVE project set up through the drugs taskforces and the Health Research Board around the issue of drug-related intimidation.
Ms Jennings said: 'Drug-related intimidation is also difficult to spot. It can often be the starting point for more harmful things downstream, just like grooming for sexual exploitation which can be the starting point for much worse harm later on.
"Often you'll hear from the testimony of children and young people who have been groomed that they were not able to recognise the signs. When we hear those stories, there are so many missed opportunities along the way for intervention.'
She said that education is an important tool in helping children and young people stay protected from grooming, adding: 'Children learn well through gaming, including really complex ideas. For years, our Stay Safe programmes in schools have all been about stranger danger whereas we know now that children and young people are more than likely to be abused by someone they know within their own community.'
