worried mum

[mumworried]

I'm really worried and hope to get some clarity. My son is 15, he passed a whatsapp message to me that he received from his auncle, my brother, that made him very uncomfortable. The message in itself can be dismissed but it is a teenage message, "what's up dude" with a photo of his favourite music group. This is trying to relate to him on the level of a teenager, not an adult in my view. That's not normal from a 51 year old man, a gay man. My son is definitely not gay.

Am I going crazy or is this grooming? My son doesn't feel comfortable with this and I said it's ok to block him. But how should I read this? There have been some "off" comments in the past but nothing I could actually say was a direct flirt or anything. I don't know how to read this, do I trust my instinct or dismiss it?

[Taylor-RO · Accepted solution]

Hi @mumworried, thank you so much for sharing. Unfortunately, it is really difficult for us to comment on whether this behaviour is grooming. The main point is that this is eliciting discomfort in both you and your son. Whether or not this is the intention of your brother, it is making you and your son feel worried and unsettled. Would you feel comfortable talking to your brother about the tone of his messages and the language that he uses?

[Taylor-RO · Accepted solution]

Hi @mumworried, thank you so much for sharing. Unfortunately, it is really difficult for us to comment on whether this behaviour is grooming. The main point is that this is eliciting discomfort in both you and your son. Whether or not this is the intention of your brother, it is making you and your son feel worried and unsettled. Would you feel comfortable talking to your brother about the tone of his messages and the language that he uses?