Episode 38: Roblox Predators Can Find Your Kids and We Ask an Expert—Can Abusers Change?
First off, happy 1-year anniversary to us. We're celebrating by making you some stuff, so stay tuned. Next, Roblox, the video game 200 million people play every day, not at all shockingly, counts child predators among its fans. And those child predators are targeting....wait for it...children. A recap of some stellar reporting that showed Roblox doesn't give very many shits that this is happening because, you know, profit. After that, we pose a question with no simple answer: Can abusers change? Should you ever trust someone who admits to being abusive to a partner in the past? Ed Sakwa, CEO of Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse in Arizona, who helps over 5,000 survivors a year, also runs an abuser reform program. He joins us with his thoughts on how to know if you can ever trust someone who owns up to abuse and who wants to change. The National Domestic Violence Hotline has advocates 24/7 available to help you answer that question as well: 800-799-SAFE.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE
People Make Games Investigation: How Roblox Is Exploiting Young Game Developers
People Make Games Follow-Up Video on Abuse Claims Within Game
Rolling Stone: Inside the Underground Strip-Club Scene on Kid-Friendly Gaming Site Roblox