Child-safety organizations, journalists, and law-enforcement have raised ongoing concerns about adults using large, multiplayer platforms, including Roblox, to target and groom children. The combination of young users, open social contact, and user-generated content creates a risk profile that’s closer to social media than most parents realize. 65% of U.S. children under 14 have used Roblox, including children whose parents would not allow them to use social media.
Although Roblox promotes a range of safety features, children under thirteen can still encounter social contact and content that isn’t developmentally appropriate. About 40 percent of active Roblox users are under age thirteen, meaning that the rest are teens and adults. Investigative reporting has found that children as young as five were able to interact with unknown adults during ordinary gameplay, and accounts registered to 10-year-olds encountered suggestive role-play or sexualized imagery.
In the U.S. alone, dozens of lawsuits allege that predators targeted children on Roblox. One minor plaintiff described being targeted by an adult posing as a peer, who then shared explicit material and attempted in-person meetings after initial contact online.
The risk here isn’t only worst-case outcomes. When children are placed in massive, anonymous social environments with limited adult oversight, they can be exposed to interactions and content far beyond their readiness. At an age when children are still learning how to read social cues and understand intention, this asks them to manage adult-sized social and safety challenges with a child’s brain.
This may sound daunting, but it doesn’t mean your child can’t play games like this safely. With clear guardrails—no interaction with strangers, chat turned off or limited to real-life friends, and play in shared family spaces—you can significantly reduce the risk while still allowing your child to enjoy gaming.
