Parents issued Roblox warning as young children are targeted online

Parents have been warned after children have reportedly been targeted on a popular website.

Roblox is an online platform that allows people of all ages to programme their own games and play millions of games created by other users.

However, over recent months, young people and children have reported viewing rude or inappropriate sexual content while on the site.

An investigation by Newsround earlier this year reported that some children had been groomed by other players.

Roblox

One girl aged 12, told the programme: "I've recently been experiencing some cyberbullying on Roblox.

"They've been saying hurtful things like, 'I know your address', 'I know your school', but it happens a lot and sometimes it really gets to me."

Another girl, this time aged 14, recalled other players in one game trying to get young girls to do 'inappropriate stuff'.

She said: "I was playing Roblox and I was on a game where you work at a pizza place and two people were pressuring girls to do inappropriate stuff with them and if they did, they would get extra money in the game."

One young boy, 12, even claimed to have even been pressured into sending photos of himself to a stranger pretending to be another child.

"I met this user on Roblox when I was like, 10," the boy said. "He said he was my age (although I now know that was a lie).

Roblox

"After a while, he asked me to send pictures, and if I did, he would give me Robux in the game - so I sent him some pics.

"After that, he started asking for more pics and even threatened to post the ones he had if I said no."

Other children told the programme that they had been asked to get undressed by other players on the site.

Some also said that they had been 'scammed' by con artists on the platform, and had all of their Robux and pets stolen from them, which they had paid for with their own money.

One child said: "I was friends with someone in Roblox basically but they scammed me and took all my things and it made me really sad."

Another child, who said he'd lost £100, revealed: "They took all of my pets away and then kicked me from the server."

If you or someone you know are concerned about the site and the issues some children have raised, you can speak to Childline confidentially on 0800 1111 for free at any time.

Topics: Technology

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers is the News/Agenda Desk Lead, covering the latest trends and breaking stories. After graduating from the University of Leeds with a degree in French and History, he went on to write for the Manchester Evening News, the Accrington Observer and the Macclesfield Express. So as you can imagine, he’s spent many a night wondering just how useful that second language has been. But c'est la vie.

@SmithersDom