Detecting grooming behaviour on social media [Ref 2.01]
Academic team: Prof Harith Alani, Dr Elizabeth Cano, Dr Miriam Fernandez,
Policing partners: Dorset Police, Avon and Somerset Police, Lancashire Constabulary
Status: Complete
Online paedophile activity has become a major concern in society with the internet widely available to the general population and young people.
This piece of research looked into whether the different stages of online grooming behaviour could be automatically detected. The proposed approach combines Machine Learning (ML) techniques with existing psychological theories and discourse studies to better encapsulate existing knowledge of online grooming.
The results of this study demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach for the automatic detection of online grooming stages, opening new possibilities for addressing predator grooming behaviour online, and helping policing organisations to act in a preventive way.
Outputs
| Title | Outputs type | Lead academic | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detecting child grooming behaviour patterns on social media | Executive summary | Alani, H | 2017 |
| Detecting grooming behaviour on social media | Presentation | Alani, H | 2017 |
| Detecting child grooming behaviour patterns on social media | Final report | Alani, H | 2016 |
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Blog post - Evolving the CPRL Collaboratives: Connecting research, practice and national priorities
From October 2026, our Collaborative Research Seminar series will enter a new phase as part of the ongoing development of the Centre for Policing Research and Learning (CPRL). These Collaboratives will evolve over the summer alongside a refreshed governance structure, positioning them at the heart of how the Centre connects research, practice, and national policing priorities.
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