Online Gaming

There are a wide range of games available online and this poses a risk for young people.

What types of online games are available?

Some are apps that can be downloaded which might be individual games that can be played. Some may be within social network like Facebook and others can be bought and used on gaming devices. All games have an age restriction on them and guidance around what’s included either on the box or next to the image before it’s downloaded from the app store.

How do I know what a game will entail?

The Pegi Website gives information about the symbols that are on games that are physically bought either from the internet or a supermarket/game store etc. It gives an understanding of what is involved within the game

How might gaming pose a risk to young people? (Grooming/cyberbullying/sexting)

Within a lot of games there are functions to allow young people to play with other people and this can be great when playing with our family and friends.

However the danger is that we could accidentally play with people we don’t know mistaking them for somebody we do know or feel safe to just play with strangers as we aren’t meeting up with them. Where it can all go wrong is when we then build up relationships with people we don’t know within online games where the intention of the friendship is to groom or bully.

A lot of young people make the mistake of making gaming friendships with people who they feel are ‘nice’ but however have never seen them in person and therefore haven’t any idea who they are, where they are from or whether what they have said is the truth. It is important to only have friendships within games with people you know.

Bullying can become quite domineering within games especially when playing games that contain a competition element. It is important to have an understanding of where to go to gain help if bullying online occurs. As with the grooming process it can also be quite easy to encourage the use of a different platform that may contain a web cam. Children and Young People should be discouraged from this unless adult at home is aware and knows who they are in contact with.