Roblox draws scrutiny after Vienna teenager’s suicide attempt

Roblox is under scrutiny after a 14-year-old girl in Vienna attempted suicide and apparently received help from a 21-year-old she had met on the platform, ORF reports. Experts from Safer Internet have outlined ways parents can help protect children.

Roblox brings together a wide range of online games, and users can also create their own. The platform’s appeal includes playing with others, often by building, collecting items or completing tasks together. But there is disagreement over which content is suitable for children.

Users cannot verify whether the person they are chatting with is a child. Adults also use the platform and may communicate with children, while the anonymous online environment offers no constant supervision.

Barbara Buchegger, Safer Internet’s education director, advises children to trust their instincts if someone asks them to do something they do not want to do. Requests might involve spending money, logging on at a particular time or sending a photo, including an intimate image.

Children who receive little encouragement in their offline lives may be more vulnerable to seeking approval online, Buchegger said. Parents should look out for changes such as withdrawal, new secrecy or sudden spending on in-game currency.

Parents can create a Roblox account and link it to their child’s account to restrict contact options and content. Buchegger said technical controls should be supported by age-appropriate conversations about online risks. Children should also feel able to turn to adults for help without fearing that they will be banned from playing.

People in crisis can call Austria’s free, nationwide telephone counselling service at 142 at any time. Young people and young adults can also contact Rat auf Draht at 147.