Grooming and child abuse: 6 questions, answered

MPR News host Angela Davis talks about how to prevent grooming — a pattern of manipulative behaviors to gain a child’s trust in order to sexually abuse them.Angela’s guests explain why preventing grooming isn’t just about recognizing it. It’s about creating conditions where it can’t happen. Guests:Dr. Mark Hudson is a child abuse pediatrician and medical director of the Midwest Children’s Resource Center at Children’s Minnesota, Minnesota’s largest pediatric hospital.Monica Rivera is the vice president of education and research at the U.S. Center for SafeSport, a nonprofit created in the wake of sexual misconduct at USA Gymnastics. Elizabeth Shockman is an MPR News reporter who covers K-12 education. To report abuse in Minnesota, contact your county’s child protection agency: Directory of County and Tribal Child Protection Agencies | Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. A 24-hour statewide sexual violence and domestic violence hotline is available in Minnesota. You can call Minnesota Day One at (866) 223-1111 or text (612) 399-9995.You can also contact the Midwest Children’s Resource Center at 651-220-6750. Emergency phone consultation is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for concerned patients, parents, child protection and law enforcement agencies, physicians, therapists and attorneys. For more information about how to recognize and prevent grooming: Use this reference to identify, prevent, and respond to grooming behaviors.Recognizing Signs of Grooming in Sport | U.S. Center for SafeSport