A mother in North Carolina detailed a disturbing moment witnessed in Roblox Amber Petersen says other players 'violently gang raped' her daughter's avatar Shocking screenshots of the incident show the other characters attacking her
Amber Petersen was reading a book to her 7-year-old daughter last week, who was playing "Roblox" on her iPad at the same time. It's a multiplayer kids' game where players build characters and worlds, not unlike "Minecraft," and has more than 64 million active monthly players.
A 7-year-old girl's character was raped in the popular children's game "Roblox," and her mom's post about it went viral. She warned that the game's moderation tools aren't enough, and parents should supervise children when they're gaming online. The incident also reveals that the communities for games like "Roblox" can have a toxic underbelly.
Amber Petersen's 7-year-old daughter Brooklyn was playing Roblox, a gaming site for kids, when her daughter's virtual character was raped, according to WTHR. "Immediately I see male private parts...exposed, and I just throw my book down, grab her screen out of her hand and shield her," Petersen told WRAL.
Roblox is, according to their website, an “immersive, user-generated” game for “kids of all ages.” To one North Carolina mom, however, it’s an online nightmare.
Update your settings here to see it. Roblox, much like Minecraft, is a game-creation platform. Over 50 million users play the game per month and create their own characters, worlds, and games; however, some content that users create is not suitable for children.
According to a press release from the company, the game published 11 million titles in 2017. The Roblox company said in a statement that they were “outraged” by the incident and that the user who created the action will be permanently banned from the site. “We have zero tolerance for this behavior.
Remind your child that they should come to you if they ever see something inappropriate, mean comments or if anything worries them within the game. If you know how to report this type of content within Roblox, you will be in the best position to help them if they need it.
Roblox is a platform for creating small multiplayer games and other experiences, and rated as suitable for those 7 and up in Europe. Credit: Amber Petersen/Facebook
Roblox's safety settings mean that parents "have the ability to limit or disable entirely who can chat with them", while restrictions can be put in place to ensure children can only access "curated content", meaning games which are suitable for those under 13.
The developer said it was "outraged" to learn its rules had been "subverted" by a "bad actor".
Roblox markets its platform at kids despite all the content being user-generated and some being decidedly unsuitable for them
After attacking her daughter's avatar, the other players ran away in the game. Petersen said Roblox, which is recommended for children ages 7 and up, has moderators and privacy settings to shield out inappropriate content. But they apparently didn't catch this incident.
At one point, Petersen's daughter showed her the iPad so she could see what was happening onscreen.
Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.
The incident also reveals that the communities for games like "Roblox" can have a toxic underbelly. Amber Petersen was reading a book to her 7-year-old daughter last week, who was playing "Roblox" on her iPad at the same time. It's a multiplayer kids' game where players build characters and worlds, not unlike "Minecraft," ...
'My sweet and innocent daughter’s avatar was being violently gang-raped on a playground by two males. A female observer approached them and proceeded to jump on her body at the end of the act.
A mother in North Carolina detailed a disturbing moment witnessed in Roblox. Amber Petersen says other players 'violently gang raped' her daughter's avatar. Shocking screenshots of the incident show the other characters attacking her.
Petersen is now calling on parents to delete the app from their kids’ devices, and ensure all precautions have been taken to secure other programs.
In response, Roblox says it is cracking down even harder on potential 'bad actors.'