Is Roblox Safe for Kids?

“Dad, you won’t believe what’s going on with Roblox,” my son said to me the other day. I hadn’t thought about Roblox since my kids stopped playing it years ago. I’ll be honest—back then I thought it was a single game like Minecraft but looked like LEGO. My son went on to explain that a Youtuber had been conducting sting operations to find pedophiles on the platform and working with law enforcement to have them arrested. His work led to six arrests. “And guess what Roblox did?” he said. “They banned the Youtuber from the site and threatened legal action.”

“Maybe they have a good reason,” I offered. “Maybe he was putting people in danger, including himself.” I was shocked but tried to give Roblox the benefit of the doubt. But the reality is, we shouldn’t give these gaming sites the benefit of the doubt with our kids’ safety. We have to test it for ourselves and make an educated decision about where we want our kids to be. Here are some answers to common questions parents have about Roblox.

1. What is Roblox and how does it work?

It’s a virtual world where the avatars look like LEGO characters. The player creates an avatar and chooses the look, clothing, and accessories. However, Roblox isn’t just a single game. It’s a platform where players can hang out, play games, and even create games/environments. So, the players can become creators. Creators can make money if their games become popular.

The world also has its own currency called Robux. So, you can use your Robux to purchase things in almost any room, like clothing and accessories that aren’t available for free. This gives the avatar a unique look that most kids want. There is also an option to buy more Robux with actual cash when you run out. The game will be linked to a credit card. The avatar moves through the virtual world and enters into a lot of different places: games, stores, clubs, escape rooms, or playing house.

2. Is Roblox safe for my child? What are the biggest risks?

No, it’s not inherently safe. Although Roblox says its platform is not for kids 13 and under, it’s not even safe for teens. The only way you can ensure safety for your child is to monitor their play on Roblox every time they’re on it. Parents need to be aware of these risks:

Predators. There are sexual predators on Roblox, and they do have access to your kids. A teenager named Ethan was groomed for several years by a user named Nate. Nate befriended Ethan and taught him how to disable parental restrictions before turning their conversations sexual. Later, Nate pressured Ethan to send naked photos of himself. Sadly, despite his parents’ effort to help him recover from the trauma, Ethan took his life in 2024. He was 15. This is just one story but there have been a number of lawsuits filed with potentially hundreds on the horizon.

Unedited Instant Messenger. The avatars are able to communicate with each other with instant messenger, and the messages are uncensored. The people behind the avatars are not only children but adults as well. So, your child can easily encounter all sorts of inappropriate language and adult content. Voice chats are also available, but the user needs a phone number. Though a savvy child can simply take your phone without your knowledge and enter the number to make that feature available.

Inappropriate Content. This is an uncensored world created by developers. There’s a lot of sexual content not suitable for children such as strip clubs and private rooms called condos, where avatars can engage in simulated sex. There’s also horror content that can be scary. All of this is easy for children to find.

Financial. Roblox is aggressive in prompting users to buy things. Kids are susceptible to this kind of pressure. They feel like they need to buy new accessories and more Robux to keep up with everyone else on the platform. Since it’s automatically connected to a credit card or PayPal account, kids can make purchases without your knowledge. Some parents have reported hundreds—even thousands of dollars—spent without their knowledge, and it’s difficult to get refunds.

Scams. The most common scams involve giving the user a chance to get “free Robux.” The user is asked to click a link which has malware or ways of tricking them into divulging their account information. With the account information, scammers can steal from the player, including things they’ve purchased with real money. Or they make a deal to purchase an item from the player with the promise of payment later. The payment never comes.

3. Are there pedophiles on Roblox?

Yes. Roblox is facing a number of lawsuits for failing to protect kids from sexual predators. A Youtube influencer—who was groomed by a Roblox developer as a teenager—exposed a number of pedophiles on the platform. His work led to 6 arrests. But in August 2025, Roblox banned the Youtuber and sent him a cease-and-desist letter. The company responded by saying that vigilante behavior put other users at risk. However, the company has received a lot of backlash with many claiming that Roblox not only hasn’t done enough to protect kids but even protects the predators.

4. Can strangers contact my child on Roblox?

Yes, they can. But you can use parental controls. If you have an incredibly compliant child (which I wouldn’t assume), then you can control the amount of communication your child can access while playing. All you do is create an account, and link to your child’s account. However, if your child wants to gain more access without your knowledge, it’s not difficult. He or she can simply create an account that you don’t know about and aren’t linked to. Then, they’ll have full access again and can be contacted by strangers.

There are two types of communication: written chats/instant messaging and voice communication. Voice communication requires a phone number. But even if your kids don’t have one, they can easily use your phone when you’re not paying attention as a way around. Instant messaging is available for everyone, and is uncensored by the site, meaning any language goes no matter how graphic.

5. Can I block specific games and experiences?

Yes, but again, you have to create a profile and link to your child’s account. But it’s an easy bypass for your kids. After you link to your child’s account, you can block whatever you want, but you will have to go through each game one by one. This is problematic because there are literally millions of games/experiences. Your child will also still be able to see the game icon, even without access—and some icons are mature in nature.

6. Has Roblox done anything to address these risks and concerns?

Roblox has rolled out new security restrictions as of summer/fall 2025 such as age verification using age estimation technology. Users below the age 18 are no longer fed search results for experiences labeled “Restricted.” But users under the age of 18 can still access these experiences until later in 2025. At that time, their access will be fully blocked.

The bottom line though is all of this is easily bypassed for a child. All they have to do is use an older or AI-produced picture, and the age verification software will identify an older person. The best way to keep your kids safe on Roblox is to monitor their play every time they’re on it.

7. Are their games like Roblox that are safer for kids?

Yes. There are several games like Roblox that are safer for kids. Here are two: Lego Fortnite provides building capabilities with stronger parental controls and filtered messaging, though it does contain mild violence. Minecraft is another alternative that has better parental controls. Kids can be restricted to playing offline, it requires parental approval for account creation, and it enables children to create private worlds accessible to only invited friends. Like Lego Fortnite, Minecraft also contains mild violence. While both games still require parental supervision, they provide significantly safer gaming experiences for kids compared to Roblox.

Ready to help your kids unplug from Roblox? This podcast shows you how to use simple outdoor activities to spark their creativity and ease screen-time anxiety.

Sound off: What has been your experience with Roblox? Do you think it’s a good platform for kids?