The trouble with Roblox
Roblox has quickly become one of the most popular online gaming platforms for kids around the world. With its colourful graphics, user-generated content, and seemingly endless variety of games, it's easy to see why children are drawn to it. With more than 80 million daily active users, it's estimated that around 40 percent of them are under the age of twelve.
At first glance, Roblox appears to be a safe and fun virtual playground where kids can explore new worlds, design their own games, and connect with friends. It offers countless opportunities for creativity, collaboration, and digital learning. However, beneath the surface, there are some serious risks that parents and guardians need to be aware of.
In this blog, we’ll take a closer look at what Roblox is,and the critical safety concerns that every caregiver should be aware of before letting their child dive into the game. Whether your child is a new player or already an avid Roblox fan, understanding the potential dangers is key to helping them enjoy the platform safely and responsibly.
A social game with real-world risks
Roblox creates an environment where children can easily interact with strangers. Many young users are automatically placed into public servers where they can chat and play in real time with people they’ve never met. For children, this might seem harmless -just another part of the game - but for those with harmful intentions, it can be the perfect gateway to manipulation.
This unfiltered and often unsupervised access makes it alarmingly easy for predators to initiate contact with children. They may disguise themselves as friendly or helpful players, blending in with the crowd by using kid-friendly language, sharing tips about the game, or offering in-game rewards. To a child, it feels like they’re just making a new friend. But for the predator, this is the first step in a process known as online grooming - a slow and deliberate attempt to build trust and emotional connection with the goal of exploiting a child.
Grooming rarely happens all at once. Instead, it begins gradually and quietly. Over time, predators begin to gain the child’s trust and encourage secrecy. Conversations may become deeper and more personal. Compliments turn into emotional bonding. A shared interest in a game becomes a reason to keep chatting.
Eventually, the predator may attempt to move the conversation to other platforms, like Discord or Snapchat, where parental controls are limited and monitoring conversations is more difficult. Once there, this manipulation can escalate into sharing more personal information. In the most dangerous and extreme cases, these conversations can escalate to sharing explicit images or arranging in-person meetings, often without the child fully realizing they are being exploited.
These scenarios are not just hypothetical - law enforcement agencies and child protection organizations have reported multiple cases of grooming that began on Roblox. Because the conversations often seem harmless, many children do not realize they are being targeted until it’s too late.
When kid-friendly games aren’t so kid-friendly
Beyond direct one-on-one interactions with strangers, children on Roblox can also be exposed to inappropriate or harmful content through the games themselves. Unlike many traditional gaming platforms where content is developed and approved by a central team, Roblox is built entirely around user-generated content. This means that virtually anyone (regardless of age or intent) can design and upload a game or virtual experience for others to play.
While this does encourage creativity, innovation, and community engagement, it also opens the door to significant safety risks. Despite Roblox’s efforts to moderate content, the sheer volume of uploads makes it difficult to catch everything. As a result, games containing explicit sexual content, adult themes, violence, or disturbing role-play scenarios can occasionally slip through moderation filters and become accessible to users before they are flagged and removed. Some of the more troubling content isn’t always immediately visible. Inappropriate games may be shared through private links, hidden in obscure corners of the platform, or disguised under innocent-sounding names to avoid detection.
The biggest challenge for many parents is that Roblox doesn’t look that dangerous. To an adult glancing over a child’s shoulder, the game may appear completely harmless. The visual style of Roblox (blocky, cartoonish avatars and bright graphics) can create a false sense of safety. But what looks like an innocent game may include mature themes, offensive language, or graphic role-playing that children aren’t prepared to process.
What you can do
While Roblox can be a creative and social outlet for kids, it’s essential that you take an active role in protecting children on the platform.
Here are a few steps you can take:
Set Up Account Restrictions
Use parental controls to limit who your child can talk to and what games they can access. Accounts for users under 13 should default to stricter settings, but it’s important to check.
Use the “Account PIN” Feature
This locks your child’s safety settings with a PIN, so they can’t be changed without your approval.
Check Their Game History
Regularly review the games your child has played by visiting their profile and checking the "Continue Playing" or "Recently Played" section.
Talk About Online Safety
Keep an open dialogue with your child about who they interact with online and how to safely respond to anything that makes them feel uncomfortable.
Stay Informed
Roblox is constantly evolving, and new trends, games, or risks can emerge quickly. Following online safety blogs specific to Roblox to help you stay ahead.
If you suspect your child may be experiencing online exploitation, support and resources are available.
If you believe someone is in immediate danger, please call 9-1-1.
Cybertip.ca
Canada’s national tipline for reporting online sexual exploitation of children. Offers education, reporting tools, and support services for families.
Kids Help Phone
Free, confidential, 24/7 support for youth in Canada, including counselling and help with online safety concerns.
NeedHelpNow.ca
A resource by the Canadian Centre for Child Protection to help youth deal with online exploitation.
The Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline
A confidential, multilingual service, operating 24/7 to connect victims and survivors with social services, law enforcement, and emergency services.
While Roblox can offer creative and social opportunities for kids, it also comes with real risks that parents can’t ignore. Staying informed, keeping communication open with your child, and teaching them the importance of online safety are key steps in helping your child navigate the platform safely. With support and guidance, your child can enjoy the fun parts of Roblox - while staying protected from the dangers.