Gaming Safety for Parents: Protecting Kids in Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft

Gaming has become the dominant form of entertainment for children. It's not a question of whether your kids play—it's a question of whether you know what they're playing, who they're playing with, and what safeguards are in place.

The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore

The scale of children's gaming today is remarkable:

Nine in ten children in middle- and high-income countries play online games
85% of U.S. teenagers ages 13 to 17 play video games, with 41% playing daily
Parents estimate their children spend an average of 20.4 hours per week gaming—a significant increase from 16.8 hours just a year ago

The three games dominating children's screens are familiar names: Roblox (380 million monthly active users), Minecraft (204 million monthly active players), and Fortnite (60+ million daily active users). These aren't niche hobbies—they're where children socialize, compete, and spend their free time.

Real Risks in Virtual Worlds

Online gaming connects children with players from around the world. That's part of the appeal—and the risk.

Recent research paints a concerning picture:

Three-quarters of teens and pre-teens (ages 10-17) experienced harassment in online games
90% of adult gamers surveyed believe multiplayer spaces are too toxic for children under 13
Only 35% of parents use parental controls on game consoles

The social nature of modern games means strangers can contact your child through text chat, voice chat, or in-game messaging. What starts as friendly gameplay can turn into harassment, bullying, or worse. Predators have learned that gaming platforms are fertile ground for finding and grooming children.

Beyond social risks, there's the financial dimension. "Free" games like Roblox and Fortnite generate billions through in-game purchases. Virtual currencies (Robux, V-Bucks) obscure the real money being spent. Without proper controls, children can rack up hundreds or thousands of dollars in charges.

The Parental Awareness Gap

Here's the frustrating part: every major gaming platform offers robust parental controls. The problem is that most parents don't know they exist or how to use them effectively.

According to recent studies:

15% of parents don't use any form of parental controls or tools
Only 47% of parents fully utilize the parental controls available to them
Parents' confidence with controls drops significantly as their children get older—45% of parents with teens aged 15-17 aren't confident using these tools

Meanwhile, parents consistently underestimate how much their children are doing online. The gap between what kids actually experience and what parents perceive is substantial.

What Parents Can Actually Do

The good news is that Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft all have meaningful safety features. They just require knowing where to look.

Roblox:

Under-13 accounts automatically get stricter default settings—but only if you enter your child's real birth date
Parental PIN prevents children from changing settings
Chat can be filtered, restricted to friends, or disabled entirely
Monthly spending limits and purchase PINs protect your wallet

Minecraft:

Microsoft Family Safety controls govern multiplayer permissions
You can disable multiplayer entirely for solo creative play
Private "Realms" let you create invite-only worlds
Xbox settings control who can communicate with your child

Fortnite:

In-game parental controls are protected by a 6-digit PIN
Voice chat can be set to Off, Friends Only, or disabled completely
Friend request settings prevent random players from contacting your child
Purchase confirmations prevent accidental spending

Introducing Gaming Safety on Firewall Academy

This is why we've added Parental Controls - Gaming Safety to Firewall Academy's curriculum.

The course covers three lessons:

Online Gaming Risks — Understanding the social, financial, and safety challenges in modern gaming environments
Roblox & Minecraft Safety — Step-by-step guidance on configuring parental controls for two of the most popular children's games
Fortnite & Other Games — Settings for Fortnite plus general guidance for other games your children might play

The course takes about 12 minutes to complete and is designed for any employee who has children—or grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or other young people in their lives.

Why This Belongs in the Workplace

You might wonder why a security awareness platform includes parenting content. The answer is straightforward: employees don't leave their personal concerns at the door.

A parent worried about their child's online safety—or dealing with the aftermath of an unexpected $500 gaming bill—isn't fully present at work. Supporting employees as whole people, including their responsibilities at home, builds engagement and demonstrates that your organization's values extend beyond productivity metrics.

There's also a practical security angle. The same employees learning to recognize phishing attacks and protect company data go home to children who face their own digital threats. Digital literacy is a family affair, and the skills transfer both ways.

The Best Parental Control Is You

Technology helps, but it's not a substitute for involvement. The research is clear: three in four parents who have gaming children play with them at least monthly. Playing alongside your child—or simply watching them play—teaches you more about their online world than any settings menu.

Use parental controls to establish boundaries. Use conversations to maintain connection. And recognize that gaming, with the right safeguards, can be a positive part of your child's life—building teamwork, problem-solving skills, and friendships.

The key is being informed enough to make those safeguards work.

The Parental Controls - Gaming Safety course is available now on Firewall Academy. Sign up to explore our full curriculum, or schedule a demo to see how we can support your organization.