The Internet has become the new playground for boys, girls and teenagers. There they study, socialize, create worlds and have experiences that are still incomprehensible to many adults. But this same universe that stimulates his imagination also becomes the privileged setting for the commission of extremely serious crimes. Grooming and images of sexual violence against boys and girls are no longer only committed on traditional social media networks; Today they are created in the places where children spend most of their time, on platforms such as Roblox, Free Fire, fortnite And other video games that combine virtual worlds, open chats, private servers, and the deceptive feeling that “it’s all a game.” It is precisely this illusion of innocence that makes boys and girls particularly vulnerable.
The criminal reality shows that sex offenders have changed their strategy. They no longer seek, as before, to engage in lengthy conversations on traditional networks, but instead enter these video games with the ease that comes with hiding behind a childish avatar. They dress up as “game buddies,” offer prizes, coins, or virtual skins, and take advantage of the natural trust children place in those who share their digital environment. Within minutes, they achieve what would previously have taken weeks; I mean creating a bond, lowering defenses, generating an emotional bond, taking the victim into a space of privacy where the processes of manipulation, requesting photos, blackmailing begin, and in some cases, even trying to transfer the virtual connection to the real encounter.
Many adults still underestimate this risk. They believe that as long as their sons or daughters are “just playing” there is no danger. But behind many conversations inside Roblox also Free Fire There is no boy or girl, but rather an adult who knows with surgical precision the techniques of emotional manipulation. An adult knows how to act, how to seduce, how to force, how to frighten. An adult knows that play is the easiest hiding place. Grooming, for example, is not an uncomfortable exchange; It is a crime that can leave deep psychological marks, generating pain, guilt, isolation and depression, and in extreme cases, may lead to physical contacts or the international dissemination of intimate material that boys and girls will never be able to recover.
Today’s parents face an urgent and complex challenge; That is, you must understand that prevention does not consist in blocking devices, but rather in actively accompanying your children’s digital lives. Talk about the topic without taboos, explain that there are adults pretending to be boys or girls, review together the games they use, activate parental controls, find out chats and privacy settings, pay attention to changes in behavior that may reveal a dangerous situation. Conversation, presence, and attention are the most powerful tools for neutralizing risk. It’s not about violating privacy, it’s about protecting integrity.
he state You must also take ownership of your role. Technology advances faster than legislation, which is why it is necessary to strengthen anti-cybercrime teams, train teachers, demand strong security standards from video game companies, and create public campaigns that reach children wherever they are; For example, Tik Tok, twitch, YouTube And why not, the same video games they use every day. Platforms must understand that they are no longer just entertainment; They are spaces where millions of children interact, so you have a responsibility to create safer environments, monitor chats, detect suspicious patterns, and respond quickly.
Ignoring this reality means leaving our sons and daughters alone to face a danger they cannot measure. Today, the attacker does not knock on the door of the house, he is inside the mobile phone, inside the tablet, inside the game. As long as we adults continue to believe that they “understand more than we do,” we will continue to leave children and teens to their fate in a virtual world that is not always as innocent as it seems.
Protecting children and adolescents means updating our tools, our perspective and our commitment. It involves understanding that Accompanying them online is as essential as accompanying them in real life. It implies the assumption that responsibility is collective. Above all, it means warning, once and for all, that no game is worth the loss of innocence, freedom or dignity to a boy or a girl. Internet It can be a wonderful place, but only if we adults assume the duty of guarding it. Because when it comes to children’s safety, there is no room for indifference.