Share Tweet A 7-year-old girl’s character was raped in the popular children’s game “Roblox,” and her mom’s post about it went viral. She warned that the game’s moderation tools aren’t enough, and parents should supervise children when they’re gaming online. The incident also reveals that the communities for games like “Roblox” can have a toxic underbelly.
Amber Petersen was reading a book to her 7-year-old daughter last week, who was playing “Roblox” on her iPad at the same time. It’s a multiplayer kids’ game where players build characters and worlds, not unlike “Minecraft,” and has more than 64 million active monthly players.
At one point, Petersen’s daughter showed her the iPad so she could see what was happening onscreen.
Her online avatar was “being VIOLENTLY GANG-RAPED ON A PLAYGROUND by two males,” Petersen wrote in a Facebook post on June 28, which went viral.
According to screenshots and Petersen’s description, two male avatars simulated rape with her daughter’s avatar, and were later joined by a third female avatar. After attacking her daughter’s avatar, the other players ran away in the game.
Petersen said Roblox, which is recommended for children ages 7 and up, has moderators and privacy settings to shield out inappropriate content. But they apparently didn’t catch this incident.
“Words cannot describe the shock, disgust, and guilt that I am feeling right now, but I’m trying to put those feelings aside so I can get this warning out to others as soon as possible,” Petersen wrote. “Although I was immediately able to shield my daughter from seeing the entire interaction, I am shuddering to think of what kind of damage this image could have on her psyche, as well as any other child that could potentially be exposed to this.”
She warned parents to supervise their children’s gaming closely, or just forego them altogether.
“I urge you to take another look at the security settings on all of your devices and closely supervise your child if you allow them to continue playing games with online platforms such as Roblox,” she wrote. “Better yet, perhaps you can join me in taking the rest of this summer to challenge your child to PUT AWAY THEIR SCREENS … AND READ!!! Books cannot be hacked, but sadly, I’ve learned the hard way that a child’s innocence can be just at the touch of a button.”
A Roblox Corporation spokesperson told Variety that it found the people involved in the incident and permanently banned them from the platform. It also said that it’s adding more moderation stringencies after the event.
“We were outraged to learn that Roblox’s community policies and Rules of Conduct were subverted,” the spokesperson said. “We have identified how this bad actor created the offending action and are putting additional safeguards in place to reduce the possibility of this happening again in the future. In addition, the offender was identified and has been permanently banned from the platform and we have suspended the game. We have zero tolerance for this behavior. Our work to ensure a safe platform is always evolving and remains a top priority for us.”
But Petersen’s daughter’s experience likely wasn’t an isolated one.
A cursory search through YouTube shows that the site is rife with gaming streamers who use their “Roblox” characters to “rape” others in the game. They have titles like “The time I was raped in Roblox,” “I was raped in Roblox,” “Roblox Raping Girl Enjoy,” and “How to play Roblox raping game.”
“Roblox” has a gaming community that’s filled with trolls. It’s a theme you’ll see repeated in the game’s official online forum and its Reddit forum.
One player summed it up in the comments to Petersen’s viral post.
“Roblox has one of the most toxic gaming communities out there, trolling and harassment like this is very common and because of players’ ability to create their own stuff, it’s very rare to play it without something really out there happening eventually,” he wrote. “To 100% ensure nothing like this ever happens again though, the only thing reliable to do is forbid [your child] from playing anything ONLINE, Roblox when you’re by yourself is harmless.”
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The Central American caravan has swelled to an estimated 7,000 migrants. Despite Trump’s threats, it’s heading north toward the US border. The migrant caravan that trekked through the Northern Triangle and reached Mexico this weekend has swelled to an estimated 7,000 people, and is largely heading to the United States. President Donald Trump has raged against the caravan, pinning blame in turn on Central American governments, US asylum laws, and congressional Democrats. Despite Mexico’s efforts to process the migrants as refugees and halt their travel, many crossed the Guatemala-Mexico border over the weekend illegally, and decided to continue northward.
The ever-growing caravan of Central American migrants swelled on Sunday to an estimated 7,000 people, who are largely dedicated to traveling north in the hopes of reaching the United States.
The caravan first set out from Honduras on October 13 as a group of 160 migrants, but grew to a massive group after word spread. The migrants have told media outlets they’re fleeing their home countries due to crippling poverty and widespread violence.
On Sunday they trekked through Mexico, chanting, “Si se pudo,” Spanish for, “Yes, we could!”
President Donald Trump has raged against the governments of Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, whom he accused of not doing enough to stop the mass exodus of Central Americans.
Trump has threatened to cut aid to those countries if the caravan makes it to the US border, though he praised the Mexican government for deploying federal police officers to manage the situation.
“Full efforts are being made to stop the onslaught of illegal aliens from crossing our Southern Border. People have to apply for asylum in Mexico first, and if they fail to do that, the U.S. will turn them away. The courts are asking the U.S. to do things that are not doable!” he tweeted Sunday. “The Caravans are a disgrace to the Democratic Party. Change the immigration laws NOW!”
‘If they stop us now, we’ll just come back a second time’
Though Mexico has tried to prevent the migrants from crossing illegally, and ordered them to request asylum from immigration officials at the border crossings, only several hundred did, according to NPR. Roughly 1,500 of the caravan members remained on the Guatemalan side of the Mexican border.
Thousands of others entered Mexico illegally, crossing the Suchiate River, between Guatemala and Mexico, by swimming or taking rafts. A number of the migrants voted by a show of hands on Saturday, once they reached Mexico, to continue heading north, The New York Times reported.
“We want to get to the United States,” one 17-year-old Honduran, Maria Irias Rodriguez, told The Times. She said she was traveling with her two young children and husband. “If they stop us now, we’ll just come back a second time.”
The growing caravan and seeming inability to stop it highlights a number of complex issues at play: The labyrinthine US asylum system, which the Trump administration loathes for its protections against detaining and quickly deporting children; the gargantuan task of securing a 2,000-mile border with Mexico; and the often desperate circumstances in the countries that prompt people to flee, which US government officials recently visited Guatemala to address.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s president-elect, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, said Sunday that the US, Canada, and Mexico should strike a deal to invest in Central American development, according to the Associated Press.
“He who leaves his town does not leave for pleasure but out of necessity,” he said.
Lopez Obrador, who takes office December 1, ran on a pro-immigration platform, promising jobs and work visas in Mexico to Central American migrants.
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11 details you may have missed on Sunday’s episode of ‘The Walking Dead’
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for Sunday’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” “Warning Signs.”
The mystery of the missing Saviors may have come to an end on Sunday’s episode of “The Walking Dead,” but a larger war may be brewing up underneath the surface between Rick and Maggie. The two have very different ways of dealing with problems in their respective communities.
Plus, Father Gabriel looks like he’s going to get whisked away by Anne on that mystery helicopter. From the Oceanside men to another look at Hershel’s watch, there were a lot of nods to previous seasons this week. Keep reading to see what you may have missed.
Sunday’s opening of “The Walking Dead” teases a threatening sign, “Final Warning.”
As Justin reanimates into one of the undead, pay attention to the screen and you’ll notice the ominous message. After watching the episode, it seems to be a message to the Saviors from the Oceanside women. There were also some thoughts this may be a message from upcoming villains, The Whisperers.
If you’ve been watching the season closely, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this message.
You can see the same message very briefly on the show’s new opening credits.
Showrunner Angela Kang said there are a lot of callbacks and Easter eggs waiting to be found in the new opening. Not all of them are nods to past events on the show like Carl and Glenn’s death.
The noose hanging from the barn and the words “Final Warning” all hinted at moments to come on season nine.
It’s also worth noting that we’ve seen writing on walls like this before on the show. During season five when the group went back to Noah’s community, a warning sign could briefly be seen behind Michonne saying, “Wolves Not Far.” That sign teased the eventual introduction of a gruesome group who referred to themselves as the Wolves, who attacked Alexandria.
Rick heads down the stairs at the episode’s start and touches a panel with two handprints.
Did your eyes tear up as you realized Rick took the old deck from his house at Alexandria with his children’s handprints and hung it up on a wall?
Carl spent his good last day making sure that he spent some time with his little sister before saying goodbye to Michonne and Rick.
The entire scene with Rick is even more emotional when you think about how he was going from room to room checking in on all of his loved ones before he began the day. Carl was the last one he passed before starting his day.
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‘None of us wants to be Sears’: A Walmart exec explains why the retailer will be making more ‘aggressive’ strides into healthcare (WMT) Walmart’s VP of health and wellness transformation said the retailer will be making more aggressive strides into healthcare. Marcus Osborne highlighted a few key projects that have been successful, including the self-service health kiosks that it has installed in stores and free health assessments. Osborne said that retailers have to evolve to cater to what consumers need, or risk going bankrupt like Sears.
Walmart is gearing up to play a more active role in healthcare.
The biggest U.S. retailer has been testing a number of approaches for both its workers and customers, and is preparing to play a more “aggressive” role, Marcus Osborne, Walmart’s vice president of health and wellness transformation, said at the Financial Times Digital Health Summit on Wednesday.
“There’s a need to create a real, true front door for healthcare that hasn’t existed,” said Osborne. “And to put that door where people are and use technology in an appropriate way, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
An increasing number of retailers are rethinking their approaches to healthcare as they grapple with changing shopping habits. CVS Health has touted the benefits of delivering more care in its stores as a big reason for its $69 billion acquisition of insurer Aetna. Walgreens is putting telemedicine kiosks in some locations.
Walmart has been experimenting with healthcare for years, and Osborne highlighted some successes, such as the retailer’s wellness events and the health check-up kiosks the retailer has in thousands of stores. The kiosks have been particularly popular with middle-aged white men who wouldn’t otherwise see a doctor, he said.
The company also has medical clinics in a handful of stores and recently opened a dentist’s office in one. Osborne said the dental office was a hit, and that during dental services, blood pressure and weight can also be checked to give consumers more “bang for your buck.”
“The olden days, they had big palaces of healthcare they built, hoping people show up, or fail,” Osborne said. “Trying to address the need where people are and doing it in a way where you don’t ask them to have to come out of their lives is the challenge.”
Osborne said that in the next 5 to 10 years, retail is going to transform because consumers’ demands are changing. Retailers are also facing a big challenge from Amazon, which is drawing shoppers away from stores by offering convenience and low prices, and is getting into healthcare as well. He said retailers like Walmart are working to adapt to avoid the fate of Sears, which filed for bankruptcy this week.
“We all want to exist in 10 years,” Osborne said. “None of us wants to be Sears.”
SEE ALSO: From health clinics at Whole Foods to Alexa for home care, here’s how Amazon could dominate healthcare
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Jamal Khashoggi’s fiancée wrote a touching tribute for him on Twitter hours after Saudi authorities confirmed his death The fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and prominent Saudi critic who died inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, wrote a touching tribute to him on Twitter. “They took your bodily presence from my world. But your beautiful laugh will remain in my soul forever,” Hatice Cengiz tweeted Saturday evening, along with a video showing Khashoggi laughing during a TV interview. Cengiz, who is a Turkish national, last saw her fiancé after he entered into the consulate on October 2 to retrieve documents for their upcoming wedding. She says he never exited the building. She has been put under 24-hour police protection, Turkish state media said, hours after Saudi Arabia admitted that Khashoggi had died inside its embassy.
The fiancée of Jamal Khashoggi, a journalist and prominent Saudi critic who died inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, wrote a touching tribute to him on Twitter.
“They took your bodily presence from my world. But your beautiful laugh will remain in my soul forever. My darling #jkhashoggi,” Hatice Cengiz tweeted Saturday evening.
They took your bodily presence from my world. But your beautiful laugh will remain in my soul forever. My darling #jkhashoggi #JamalKhashoggi#JusticeForJamal pic.twitter.com/vJOfhL6dEq
— Hatice Cengiz / خديجة (@mercan_resifi) October 20, 2018
Cengiz attached a video of Khashoggi during an interview for a TV documentary. During filming, a cat jumped onto Khashoggi’s lap, causing the journalist to erupt into laughter.
“You should leave this in the film,” he tells the camera.
Cengiz, who is a Turkish national, last saw her fiancé after he entered into the consulate on October 2 to retrieve documents for their upcoming wedding.
Cengiz says she waited for Khashoggi outside the consulate for roughly 11 hours but he never came out. She was told to call Turan Kislakci, the head of the Turkish Arab Media Association, in the event he did not exit the embassy, CNN reported.
أطالب #السعودية بالإفصاح رسمياً عن مصير خطيبي #جمال_خاشجقي المختفي منذ عشرة ايّام بعد دخوله مبنى #القنصلية_السعودية في #اسطنبول وعدم خروجه منها الي يومنا هذا#اين_جمال_خاشقجي pic.twitter.com/Rj3EWvtWYg
— Hatice Cengiz / خديجة (@mercan_resifi) October 13, 2018
Cengiz has been active on Twitter and has repeatedly called on world leaders to wrap up their investigations and disclose details on Khashoggi’s whereabouts.
Cengiz has been put under 24-hour police protection, according to Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
The order was made by Istanbul’s governor’s office, but didn’t specify what prompted the decision to increase her security detail.
Saudi Arabia acknowledged on Saturday that Khashoggi had died inside their Turkish consulate, but claimed that the 59-year-old was killed in a “fistfight” that escalated. Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir on Sunday denied that the nation’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was behind the journalist’s death, and reiterated claims that a “rogue operation” was responsible.
But officials are skeptical of Saudi’s explanation for the Khashoggi’s death. Turkish officials have repeatedly touted claims that Khashoggi was brutally tortured and dismembered by what appeared to be a 15-person kill squad flown in from Saudi Arabia.
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he wasn’t satisfied with Saudi Arabia’s latest response, but said canceling a $110 billion arms deal with Saudi Arabia would hurt the US “far more than it hurts them.”
“Obviously there’s been deception, and there’s been lies,” he told said during an interview with the Washington Post on Saturday. US officials have repeatedly called for Trump to order an investigation and trigger possible Magnitsky sanctions against those involved in Khashoggi’s disappearance.
For now, the US, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey are continuing their investigation into the incident before Trump or the US Senate decide to retaliate.
SEE ALSO: Saudi foreign minister denies the crown prince had anything to do with Khashoggi’s death as Trump says ‘there’s been lies’ in Saudi Arabia’s explanations
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A fan mapped out how many words Daryl has said on ‘The Walking Dead’ since season one and it’s eye opening
It’s no secret that Daryl hasn’t spoken much on “The Walking Dead” during the past few seasons. One fan mapped out how much Daryl has spoken — or hasn’t spoken — on the show since its start. A simple chart by Reddit user Da1tontheGreat shows Daryl barely spoke on season seven and didn’t speak much during seasons five and six, either. “The Walking Dead” star Norman Reedus has also addressed his character’s lack of dialogue on the show. He said former showrunner Scott Gimple told him, “Don’t worry, you’ll talk again one day.”
Fans have said that Daryl hasn’t spoken much on “The Walking Dead” for years now, and we finally have proof to back it up.
One hero fan went through the series’ first eight seasons and painstakingly tracked how many words Daryl (Norman Reedus) spoke on the show each year. Reddit user Da1tonTheGreat shared a simple chart mapping out the number of words Reedus spoke on the show’s subreddit.
It’s eye opening.
You can view it here.
The chart shows a drastic drop in dialogue for Daryl during seasons five, six, and seven while Scott M. Gimple was the series’ showrunner. Daryl spoke the most lines during season four, also while Gimple was in command, and had significantly more lines early on during the show’s first few seasons.
What was going on during season seven?
Daryl was imprisoned and tortured for a good portion of season seven by Negan and his Saviors. Negan tried breaking Daryl to try and make him one of his own. Daryl felt a lot of personal grief after taking responsibility for the death of close friend Glenn at Negan’s hands.
Now that a year and a half has passed since the end of the war with Negan, Daryl is speaking again a lot. “The Walking Dead” also has a new showrunner in the series’ longtime writer Angela Kang. Fans immediately noticed the difference in how much Daryl has been speaking during the show’s latest season.
Reedus is aware of the change, too, and addressed it recently on “Walking Dead” aftershow, “Talking Dead.”
“The last couple of seasons I didn’t say much, that’s true,” said Reedus after the series’ season nine premiere. “It’s always been story first. And [former showrunner] Scott [M. Gimple] was always story first. He would tell me, ‘Don’t worry, you’ll talk again one day.'”
Well, Daryl’s speaking and we don’t plan to see him stopping soon with Andrew Lincoln departing the series as Rick Grimes this season.
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