After initial contact has been made, the child is then introduced to one or more older men who pose as or are the initial contact’s older brother or cousin.
The befriending stage involves the perpetrators using coercive and non-coercive seductive and deceptive behaviour.
Non-coercive behaviour includes:
- buying gifts;
- making promises;
- giving excessive attention;
- telling lies;
- exploiting the child’s infatuation;
- attributing guilt;
- damaging the child’s self-esteem; and
- offering a luxurious, expensive and exciting lifestyle – e.g. cars, attractive men, night clubs.
Coercion involves:
- using force and violence;
- making threats and intimidating the child;
- alienating the child from the family;
- supplying alcohol and drugs; and
- introducing the child to criminal associations.