Mabel’s story
When she was 12, Mabel was targeted online by a man posing as someone her age. Chatting on social media with someone she thought was her friend felt good at first – but things escalated, leaving Mabel unsafe, hounded, and harassed.
Targeted online
Targeted online
Mabel was happy, at first, to make a friend her age on Instagram. Their chats seemed normal and she felt a sense of acceptance. But as the conversation began to shift, Mabel felt uncomfortable and became unsure about what was happening and how to respond. She struggled to work out what was genuine or know what to do.
The man exploited this uncertainty
At the time I was feeling upset and lost. I was very confused.
The man exploited this uncertainty, and his inappropriate behaviour escalated into grooming. He coerced Mabel into sending intimate pictures of herself, leaving her distressed.
Growing concerns
As concerns grew, Mabel’s school and family became involved, and the police were contacted to support the response.
“My parents knew something wasn’t right, but they didn’t know how to communicate with me about it because I was so young. They didn’t know how to manage it. And then I told someone at school about what was happening, and school had to get involved because I just couldn’t understand what was happening.”
Mabel found out the person she’d been talking to online, who she thought was her friend, was an adult man with a beard and moustache. She was shocked and even more confused than before.
Unfortunately, though Mabel was now safe from this perpetrator, the support she received at the time was not tailored to her need. She still wasn’t safe.
Specialist support
Specialist support
At 15, Mabel’s school became worried again about who might be trying to contact her online.
Because tragically, every day, young people across the country are being targeted online by people who groom and then exploit them.
Mabel was referred to a specialist exploitation service at The Children’s Society. Here, she finally begin to process what she’d experienced. Through weekly sessions with her support worker, Rebecca, Mabel learned about grooming, exploitation, and healthy relationships.
I was comfortable around her
It helped her to make sense of these frightening experiences. “When Rebecca came in, she simplified that for me.” The consistency and clarity of the sessions helped Mabel feel safe, able to engage, and understand what had happened.
I was comfortable around her. She gave me the sense that she understood.
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Your donation could help fund a support worker so a young person like Mabel can get the specialist support they need – changing their life for the better and helping to save their teenhood.
