Parent Game

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Welcome to the Parent Online Safety game. In this simulation, you will step into the shoes of a parent responding to an online safety concern involving your child. Your choices will help you practice staying calm, keeping useful information, seeking support, and helping your child feel safe. [[Continue->Scenario]]

You notice your 12-year-old child, Maya, has been spending a lot of time in their room playing online games. Tonight, Maya seems upset and anxious. When you ask what's wrong, they reluctantly tell you that someone they met in the game chat has been sending them strange messages and asking for personal photos. What do you do first? [[Take away their device->Take Device]] [[Ask to see the messages->See Messages]] [[Tell them to block the person->Block Person]]

Your child feels blamed and ashamed. They shut down and refuse to share more details. This makes it harder to understand what happened and decide what support they need. Children who feel blamed are less likely to report problems in the future. [[Try Again->Scenario]]

While blocking is important, doing only this misses critical steps. You have not saved useful information, changed credentials, or considered whether to report the behavior. The person may have already gathered information or could contact other children. What do you do? [[Realize you need to do more and check the messages together->See Messages]] [[Feel satisfied that it is handled->Poor Choice]]

Blocking the person is a good first step. It can help stop immediate contact, but it may not fully address the risk. In reality, authorities receive millions of reports of suspected grooming and enticement every year, and people who target children often reach out to more than one young person. It is important to save useful information, change account credentials, and consider reporting to a platform, trusted adult, helpline, or law enforcement. [[Try Again->Block Person]]

You reassure your child that it's not their fault. Your child shows you the messages. You realize this is more serious than you initially thought. What should you do with these messages? [[Take screenshots->Screenshots]] [[Immediately delete all the messages to protect your child->Delete Messages]]

Deleting the messages may feel protective, but it can remove information that may help a platform, trusted adult, helpline, or authorities understand what happened and protect other children. [[Go back and take screenshots->Screenshots]]

Saved screenshots and copies of all messages. You carefully document everything - usernames, dates, times, and the content of messages. You save the images to a secure folder. Now you have saved the messages. What do you do next? [[Cut off all communication by blocking the user and deleting your child's account->Delete Account]] [[First change all account credentials then block the user->Change Credentials]] [[Report the incident before anything else->Report First]]

Blocking the person is important, but deleting the account may remove additional information and make follow-up harder. Also, you should change credentials so the person cannot access the account through saved passwords or recovery methods. [[Go back and secure the account properly->Change Credentials]]

Action completed: Changed all online credentials and cut off communication with the person. You've secured your child's accounts. Now what? [[Who to report to?->Report Options]]

You choose to report. You file a report with local police and submit a report to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's CyberTipline. They confirm that reports like this are taken seriously and reviewed. [[Continue->Emotion Check]]

Who to report to? [[Handle privately and monitor your child's activity->Private Handle]] [[Report to the game platform->Platform Report]] [[Consider a CyberTipline or police report->Emotion Check]]

Handling this privately may feel easier, but many incidents go unreported. Getting advice from a platform, helpline, CyberTipline, or law enforcement can help you decide what steps protect your child and others. <div class="resource-stat-card"><strong>Statistic:</strong> Studies show up to 60% of abused children never tell an adult what happened, so reporting really does make a difference. <span class="resource-source"><a href="https://cactx.org/ending-child-sexual-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas)</a></span></div> [[Go back->Report Options]]

Reporting to the game platform is helpful, but it may not be enough on its own. Report to anyone else? [[No it seems handled->No More Reporting]] [[Consider a CyberTipline or police report->Emotion Check]]

<div class="resource-stat-card"><strong>Statistic:</strong> Some grooming escalates in under 20 minutes, but it can also unfold over days, weeks, or months. <span class="resource-source"><a href="https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/news/children-at-risk-of-grooming-in-as-little-as-18-minutes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(British Science Association)</a></span></div> Stopping at the platform report is an incomplete action. For serious exploitation concerns, consider getting guidance from a helpline, the CyberTipline, or law enforcement. [[Go back->Platform Report]]

How is your child doing emotionally? [[Connect them with a specialist who is knowledgeable in this area->Specialist]] [[They seem okay, we should move forward from this incident->Move Forward]] [[Talk about it as a family and monitor the child's online activity->Family Talk]]

While you've taken important protective actions, your child may need professional help to process this experience. Grooming can affect a child's sense of trust, safety, and self-worth. A counselor trained in this area can help them heal and recognize warning signs in the future. [[Trust they will recover on their own->Incomplete Ending]] [[Connect them with a specialist->Specialist]]

Talk about how it is an incomplete action. Talking about it as a family and monitoring your child online are helpful steps, but this may still be incomplete without professional support. <div class="resource-stat-card"><strong>Statistic:</strong> Studies show up to 60% of abused children never tell an adult what happened, which is why calm support and follow-up matter. <span class="resource-source"><a href="https://cactx.org/ending-child-sexual-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">(Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas)</a></span></div> [[Trust they will recover on their own->Incomplete Ending]] [[Connect them with a specialist->Specialist]]

Connecting your child with a specialist gives them emotional support and helps them process the experience in a healthy way. You responded in a safer and more complete way by saving useful information, securing the account, considering reporting options, and supporting your child emotionally. [[Play Again->Intro]]

You took important protective actions, but missed some critical steps. Review what you did and didn't do: Your child is safer now, but a stronger response would have included more protective measures. Every step serves an important purpose in protecting your child and the wider community. [[Play Again->Intro]]