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When Online Safety Hits Home
When Online Safety Hits Home
August 16, 2025
If you are a parent or caregiver of a child who plays games online, you have probably heard the word Roblox at least a few times. And, if you pay attention to what is happening in online spaces you may have heard that word a few more times in recent weeks, with some concerning language attached to it. We don’t usually weigh in on online hotspots, but this issue hits close to home. It connects directly to work we’ve done in our community in recent months and highlights risks and concerns you should know about.
As a starting point, Roblox is an online platform and game creation system that allows users to create, share, and play millions of games. It’s a virtual universe where users, for the most part children and teens, can interact on platform with over 100 million monthly users. With the exception of in-game payments for various items, the game itself is free for users to play on any gaming system or smartphone, which increases access significantly and helps generate its younger user base. However, this free to play, open access, generative environment is what essentially opens it to being a virtual “wild west.”
Roblox has been facing significant backlash and legal challenges in recent months, primarily centered on child safety issues and the company’s moderation policies. A key theme in these controversies is the allegation that Roblox has prioritized user growth and profits over the safety of its young users. The most serious and pressing concern is the alleged failure of Roblox to protect children from predators. Multiple lawsuits have been filed, including one by the Attorney General of Louisiana and another by a Texas man, alleging the platform’s design and weak moderation have created an environment where child predators can “thrive, unite, hunt, and victimize kids.”
Some of these lawsuits are based on specific cases of exploitation as well as citing a general environment of allowing exploitation to take place. These include:
- A lawsuit in Iowa claims a 13-year-old girl was introduced to a predator on the platform who later kidnapped and sexually assaulted her.
- A Texas man is suing the company, alleging he was groomed and sexually abused as a child by a contracted Roblox developer he met on the platform. The lawsuit claims Roblox was unresponsive to his mother’s pleas for help.
- The lawsuit filed by Louisiana’s Attorney General alleges that despite having a “zero-tolerance policy for the exploitation of minors,” Roblox’s lack of effective age verification and safety protocols puts children at risk.
These lawsuits have a common thread: the company has failed to put effective age checks in place to keep children safe. The court actions also show that Roblox’s content and user moderation is weak at best, allowing sexual and violent material to spread across the platform.
One video highlights the creation of a brand new Roblox account – where in less than 15 seconds the user was engaged with inappropriate content.”
Within the gaming and online community itself there has been a significant social media campaign against Roblox as the company has recently retaliated against users who have highlighted the issue or worked with law enforcement and other organizations to stop online predators on the platform.
One particular user and YouTuber known as “Schelp” with more than 800k subscribers has been one of the most vocal of the issue, posting a video in which he pretends to be a younger child to highlight the issue of predators on the platform. As a result of this action his account was banned, which has contributed to actions taken against the company.
Another user, known as “KreekCraft”, with more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube, generated two videos recently. One video highlights the creation of a brand new Roblox account – where in less than 15 seconds the user was engaged with inappropriate content. Another longform video highlights the recent issues involving the wider Roblox community.
So, what should you know about this, and where does this hit home? As we discussed in our April Newsletter, we had the pleasure of meeting with students from 3rd to 8th grade in Mashpee and Monomoy school districts to talk about online safety, digital mindfulness and gaming. . During the sessions with Richard Guerry from IROC2 , more than half of the 1,400 students we engaged with acknowledged that they played games online. Most of them identified Roblox as the game they played the most, and more than half revealed they communicated with people online.
The risks to children in our community being targeted by predators online is very real. We urge parents to get, and stay, involved in their children’s online lives to observe and understand the overall content on these platforms. The “built-in” safeguards for these games, and others, aren’t enough. Teach your children that communication in games should only be in the game, about the game. Often predators build trust with children on Roblox and then try to move the conversation to less-moderated platforms like Discord or Snapchat. Reinforce that they should never accept invitations to talk off the game platform.
Please, Take the Pledge and adopt an active role to prevent the sexual exploitation of children. Be smart and be safe online. It’s up to you to prevent online sexual exploitation of children.
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Sending Children Back to School Safely
Sending Children Back to School Safely
August 16, 2025
Back to school shopping is underway, school and bus schedules are coming together, figuring out sports and after-school activities is an extra jigsaw puzzle thrown into the mix. The rush to squeeze out every last ounce of summer is here. However, somewhere in the middle of it all we hope you can take the time to look at what conversations about safety in the new school year could look like. We want to provide you with some suggestions for how you can engage your child, and their school, in these important conversations.
School Safety Guidelines
Do you know the child abuse prevention policies in your child’s school? How does the school focus on prevention? Do they incorporate safety into their hiring process? Are staff provided with training on prevention and recognizing signs of abuse and how to report it? Do they regularly evaluate if their building has a safe environment which minimizes opportunities where students are not able to be seen? If you don’t know the answer to one, or any of these questions, please inquire with your child’s school administration. Talk with your child about talking with you if they have any situation happens at school where they don’t feel safe.
Technology
Schools and technology now operate hand in hand, even at the elementary school level. While schools have installed online safeguards for children, there are many ways to navigate around such precautions. Children may find themselves in a situation they did not intend or fully understand. Talk with your child’s school about what safeguards are in place, and how online safety is discussed in school. Talk to your children about online safety, and the risks which exist, even on games and social apps.
Three Trusted Adults
Talk with your children about identifying three trusted adults who are in their lives, other than parents and caregivers. Explain that these three adults would be someone who they would go to if something happened if they felt unsafe, embarrassed, or unsure of what to do. This gives children the reassurance that they can ask for help outside of their immediate family. It also tells you, as a parent, who the important adults in their lives are..Get to know their names and take advantage of parent-teacher nights and socials to meet these individuals, and show you are an engaged and informed parent.
Consent
Talking with children about consent is something which should begin early and repeated often. Not only about sex, but about being hugged, touched, sharing toys or food, or sharing information. Remind your children that they are in charge of their bodies and choices, and no one should pressure them to do something they don’t want to do. This extends to relationships with peers, teachers, and other adults in their school. If we can communicate this with children earlier, later it will be an easier conversation about dating, online safety and sex.
Have Conversations Without Judgment
It is important for children and teens to know that if they make a mistake, they can have a calm non-judgmental conversation with their parents and ask for help. Children need to know their parents will always believe in them, advocate for them, and put their health and safety first. Ongoing and regular conversations about safety with kids and teens will help them feel supported, can provide reassurance, and increase their likelihood of asking for help.
These are just some of the ways you can talk with children and teens about safety as they return to school. If you would like to learn more, please email our Community Programs Coordinator Heidi Friedel at heidi.friedel@childrenscove.org. If you would like to learn more about online safety, please email our Child Exploitation Program Coordinator Anna Colby at anna.colby@childrenscove.org.
