‘That innocence can be exploited’ - Mother urges parents to be vigilant on Roblox - IOL

A mother has spoken out about her daughter’s frightening experience on Roblox, urging parents to know who their children are talking to and what they are doing online.

A mother’s decision to speak publicly about her daughter’s experience on Roblox has become a deeply personal warning to other parents about the hidden risks children can face online.

Ilanza Klein said she had wrestled for a long time with whether to share what happened to her daughter, knowing that doing so meant revisiting an experience no parent wanted their child to endure.

But the possibility that her story could protect even one child ultimately convinced her to speak out.

Roblox is an online gaming and creation platform where users can play games created by other users, build their own experiences and interact with other players.

While it is widely associated with children and young people, its social features allow users to communicate and interact through usernames, avatars, chats, friend requests and multiplayer experiences.

It is this element of interaction that Klein said left her deeply concerned after what happened to her daughter.

“I have been contemplating for a very long time whether to share our experience with Roblox, because it involves my daughter and something no parent ever wants their child to experience. But if sharing our story protects even one child, then staying quiet is no longer an option for me.”

Klein said she had retained evidence relating to what her daughter experienced and that she had personally seen conversations and behaviour that concerned her.

She said what she uncovered included adults targeting and interacting with children through the platform.

Her warning, however, was not simply about the games themselves, but about the difficulty children can have in knowing who is really behind an online identity.

A child may believe they are chatting or playing with someone their own age, while having no way of knowing whether the person behind a username or avatar is actually another child.

The concerns raised by Klein are not limited to the possibility of inappropriate contact.

Emma Sadleir, founder of The Digital Law Company, highlighted several risks parents should be aware of when children use Roblox, including user-generated games, scams, messaging and chats, virtual purchases, excessive gaming and the possibility of sexual predators targeting children.

Sadleir warned that the games themselves can be unpredictable because they are created by users and may contain material that is unsuitable for children.

She also pointed to the risk of children being deceived into handing over personal information in exchange for fake rewards or “Robux”, the platform’s virtual currency.

The social features present another concern, particularly where children interact with people they do not know.

“Strangers can chat to your children, friend requests and language can slip through filters,” Sadleir said.

She also warned that predators could use online communication to build relationships with children.

“Predators can target children, engage in private chats to build trust, and groom minors,” Sadleir said.

She recommended that parents use the platform’s available safety features and take an active interest in their children’s online activity.

This includes setting up parental controls, privacy settings, spending limits and chat restrictions, while regularly checking friend requests, messages, game history and friend lists.

She also advised parents to consider private servers, ensure children do not use their real names or share personal information, and speak openly with them about online responsibility.

Among the most important lessons, she said, was teaching children not to exchange personal information or money with people they meet online and to report suspicious behaviour.

Klein said she was not speaking out for attention and was not making accusations lightly, but as a mother who had been forced to confront the consequences of something that reached her own child.

Her message to other parents was simple: do not assume that a platform is safe simply because it is marketed towards or widely used by children.

She urged parents to know what their children were doing online, who they were speaking to and what kind of interactions they were having.

“Children can believe they are simply playing a game with another child. They don't necessarily understand who may actually be behind a username, an avatar or a friendly conversation. That innocence can be exploited.”

Klein said the experience had fundamentally changed how she viewed online safety and parenting in an increasingly digital world.

She said she wished she had known then what she knows now.

“Roblox will never be allowed in our home again.”

Klein not ready to disclose every detail of what had happened, particularly because protecting her daughter’s privacy remained her priority. When she was ready, she intended to share more of her experience and evidence that could responsibly be made public.

For now, she hopes her warning will encourage other parents to have difficult conversations with their children about online strangers, usernames, private conversations and the reality that an avatar does not necessarily reveal who is behind the screen.

Her experience, she said, had changed the way she viewed children's online safety completely.