Adults and sexual grooming

Abstract

Most of the sexual abuse of adults is perpetrated by someone known to the victim. However, the majority of research studying the modus operandi of adult sexual abuse has focused on the behaviors and tactics of stranger rapists. There has been reference in the media to adult sexual grooming, but as of yet this phenomenon has yet to be explored empirically. There are several constructs that have been explored in the perpetration of adult sexual abuse that may have some bearing on adult sexual grooming including sexual harassment, sexual coercion, coercive control, and “cat-fishing.” As such, this largely exploratory chapter examines what is known about adult sexual abuse, provides a description of Sinnamon’s Seven Stage Model of Adult Sexual Grooming, and reviews the literature on related constructs to understand how these behaviors may be indicative of adult sexual grooming. The chapter concludes with proposals for future research to better understand whether the tactics and strategies used to perpetrate sexually abusive behaviors against adults in fact constitute sexual grooming.