This is very common, especially for kids who feel lonely, insecure, or overlooked. Attention can feel powerful, validating, and exciting. Unfortunately, people who want to exploit others often rely on this confusion.
Help your child slow down and notice how interactions make them feel over time. Affection feels mutual and safe. Exploitation often feels intense, secretive, or pressuring. You can say, “Real care doesn’t make you feel scared to say no or afraid to tell me about it.”