BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — As concerns about online safety and child protection continue to grow, parents are taking steps to ensure their kids' are safe while playing online.
- Parents express concerns over online safety for children using gaming platforms like Roblox.
- A recent case involved a 10-year-old girl abducted by a man she met through Roblox.
- Maria Romo, a mother, plays Roblox with her daughter to monitor online interactions.
- Kern County Sheriff's Office highlights that gaming apps can pose similar dangers as social media.
- Experts recommend parents use media monitoring apps and engage with their children's gaming activities.
For your convenience, the skimmable summary above is generated with the assistance of AI and fact checked by our team prior to publication. Read the full story as originally reported below.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
With online gaming becoming more and more popular among children, parents are taking proactive steps to ensure their kids are safe. This includes using certain parental controls to monitor what their children are exposed to.
"The stranger danger thing it's online nowadays; it's not at the park. They're not snatching up our kids at parks; they're taking kids because they think it's on their own free will after they've been groomed or coerced," explained Public Information Officer with the Kern County Sheriff's Office, Lori Meza.
Meza says most people tend to stigmatize social media and fail to realize that gaming apps pose the same threat to children. That is especially true for the online gaming platform, Roblox, which has become a hot spot for alleged child predators seeking to coerce minors.
In a statement to 23ABC, a Roblox Spokesperson says, quote—
"These allegations are deeply troubling, and we are actively investigating. We have a zero-tolerance policy against child endangerment, and a range of safety features to guard against predatory behavior. We also partner with law enforcement around the world, and are working tirelessly to enhance our safety systems, processes, and policies."
This type of online behavior is no stranger to Maria Romo, who says her 12-year-old daughter has been playing Roblox since she was 4.
"I thought that it was just a children's game and that adults aren't allowed to play on that, but unfortunately, some older people do play Roblox and can make the experience not so safe for the children," said Romo.
When she heard about the dangers of the gaming platform, Romo says she decided to play WITH her daughter to see what she was being exposed to.
"If it meant that you can protect your child from a dangerous situation because you knew how to use these apps, what's stopping you? Pick up a phone, download the apps, download the games—the only way to know what's going on it to look at it," said Meza.
Romo says the type of behavior she discovered on Roblox led her to add parental controls on her daughter's account, limiting the time she spent playing on the software and allowing her to ONLY interact with people she knew.
"We need to make sure that we're taking the time to look at the playground that they're showing us which is the internet and if they're not showing you, get on the playground," said Meza.
Meza encourages parents to familiarize themselves with their children's technology to help spot any red flags and keep their kids away from dangerous situations.
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