Studies have shown that victims of grooming suffer long-lasting effects.

Recently, actor Kim Soo Hyun’s involvement with the late actress Kim Sae Ron has come to light following her passing.

It was initially alleged that Kim Soo Hyun began dating Kim Sae Ron when she was 15 and in middle school while he was 27. The alleged photo of their first meeting is said to be within a year or two of the beginning of their “relationship,” and netizens were shocked by how young she looked.

Kim Soo Hyun’s side has denied that any relationship occurred while she was underaged, as evidence has surfaced. The most recent update to the scandal revealed that Kim Sae Ron was allegedly married before her passing and planned to move to America.

Many have expressed disgust not only over the media’s reaction to this information but also over the way her alleged husband treated her. According to the recording, she was blackmailed into marriage and also forced to get an abortion.

If true, Kim Sae Ron’s short life was filled with tragedy, some of which may be explained from a study based standpoint.

Kim Soo Hyun’s alleged romantic involvement with an underaged Kim Sae Ron has been referred to as grooming by many. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), an anti-𝓈ℯ𝓍ual violence organization, grooming is defined as “manipulative behaviors that the abuser uses to gain access to a potential victim, coerce them to agree to the abuse, and reduce the risk of being caught.”

It most often occurs with young children but can happen to teenagers or even vulnerable adults. Even if the grooming takes place for a short amount of time, there are numerous effects that the victim will deal with throughout their life.

According to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, the effects can include drug and alcohol problems, anxiety and depression, difficulties dealing with stress, self-esteem problems, and issues with relationships.

If Kim Sae Ron was indeed groomed, these effects could be linked to not only her DUI incident and subsequent issues surrounding it…

…but also her alleged marriage, which many have seen as possibly abusive as previously mentioned.

As many victims of grooming often deal with effects long-term, it is very possible that her alleged grooming negatively affected Kim Sae Ron and, in some way, and contributed to the tragic circumstances near the end of her life.