You’re letting your child play online. They’ve been begging you to play it, and all their friends at school are constantly talking about it. But you’re a bit worried; you’ve heard about cyberbullying. Especially in games, people can be so mean to each other!

So, how can you make sure your child is safe when playing online?

The internet can be an amazing place. It’s a new way to interact with friends, especially when playing online games. But before you let your child play, you need to be aware of any potential risks. Your child could potentially hear language that isn’t appropriate or might end up being called names by strangers online.

But thankfully, there are a lot of ways that game makers are making their games a safe place for younger children, thanks to a variety of tools to prevent cyberbullying.

Let’s have a look at what online games are, why it’s important to be aware of the risks, and how we can make it a safer space for your child.

What counts as an online game?

Online games are games that are played by many people at the same time:

They can be played with other players together, or against other players competitively.

You can usually play with friends, or you can play against total strangers.

In some games, you can type words for other players to see.

Sometimes they have a voice-chat feature. This means that players can verbally communicate with each other.

In some games, you can look at another player’s account information, like their account name.

Now that we’ve identified what an online game is, let’s look at why these games can potentially lead to cyberbullying.

What should I be aware of when my child is playing these games?

While playing these games can be really fun, there are a few things that parents should be aware of before allowing children to play:

Because these games can get competitive, people can get angry. This can lead to people becoming quite nasty to their friends, or strangers that are playing the game with them.

Chat features mean that players communicate with each other. What that also means is that players can sometimes use the chat feature to say mean comments and hurtful words to each other.

The chat feature also means that anonymous strangers can communicate with each other. This can lead to a stranger gaining important information about your child’s location. If there’s any information in your child’s username, (surname, date of birth) they can potentially see that too.

This all sounds scary, but don’t worry! If you and your child know the potential dangers of online play, you can also learn about the solutions you can use to make sure your child doesn’t encounter any bad behaviour online.

So, what can I do to stop bad behaviour whilst my child is playing online games?

Here are the top strategies to help protect your child when they play online games:

Make sure the game is age-appropriate. Games must come with age ratings assigned by an independent organisation, which will give you guidance as to whether it is appropriate or not for your child.

Most games for younger children do not feature voice or type chat. The age ratings can also help you decide whether the content in the game is appropriate for your child.

Do some research about the game. Most games have options to disable the voice or type chat whilst playing. They will also have a way of reporting any bad behaviour, and getting the offending person banned from the game. There are plenty of websites that track and list what games have voice and chat features, and how to disable them.

Sit down with your child and explain internet safety whilst playing these games. Your child should know that they should never give out personal information in the game. This means name, age, and location. Make sure your child’s account name does not include any of these things. They should also be aware of how to report bad behaviour in the game, and why angry words are not acceptable, even when someone is anonymous.

With this information, your child should be able to enjoy playing with their friends online, whilst being a responsible digital citizen!

How can I make sure my child is safe playing games online?

By implementing these strategies, you can help ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable gaming experience.