THE XBOX GAMING SAFETY TOOLKIT
Empowering parents, educators and caregivers to support young people to adopt safe
gaming habits in Singapore

04

INTRODUCTION
06

07

TABLE OFCONTENTS
20

How to use this toolkit

GENERAL GAMING SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR ALL AGES
08

Parental controls

10

Setting up Xbox accounts for success

11

Guidance for all ages

13

Common safety risks

14

Harmful and age-inappropriate content

15

Bullying and harassment

16

Grooming and unwanted contact

17

Screentime

18

In-game purchases

AGE-SPECIFIC ADVICE AND CASE STUDIES
21

5-8yr olds - cultivating positive behaviours

25

9-12yr olds - fostering independence

29

13-15yr olds - empowering youths to be confident gamers

33>16yr olds - championing a new generation of gamers

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION
Foreword by Dave McCarthy, CVP Xbox Player Services
At Xbox, our mission is to bring the joy and communityof gaming to everyone on the planet. We’ve seen thepositive impact that gaming can have to people of allages – helping to develop new problem-solving skills,
forging new friendships, being a shared activity forfamilies and helping people gain confidence using
technology.
But like any online activity, these positive experiences are had whencommunities are safe, accessible and everyone can play within theboundaries they set, free from fear and intimidation. We recognisethat navigating these safety challenges can be hard work for busy
parents and caregivers.

We take our responsibility to society and the gaming
community very seriously. We understand that putting players at
the centre of everything we do means creating experiences
and communities that welcome all to play. We all play a rolein creating the Xbox community – whether a player is new to gamingor has been playing for decades, each person acts as a steward of
the community, protecting others and reinforcing the Xbox
Community Standards that detail what is and is not acceptable.

INTRODUCTION
Continued
We provide tools and resources that empower players with choice andcontrol to support balanced gaming. And that is why we set about tocreate a comprehensive resource to support parents and caregivers tobetter understand gaming safety.

We designed this toolkit with the advice and support of trusted
bodies including the Media Literacy Council, TOUCH Community
Services, Cyberlite Books, and SG Her Empowerment (SHE). You willfind many safety resources and links provided by these organisations
throughout this toolkit.
This toolkit is part of our multifaceted approach to safety, as outlined
in our Xbox Transparency Report which shares more information
about how we protect our community. Our approach includes arange of proactive and reactive tools and measures, such as
our parental controls so children can engage in safe and ageappropriate experiences; and privacy tools to keep players informed
about what data is collected and how it used. The Microsoft privacy
dashboard and the Xbox Data Collection for Kids website explain
data privacy and collection in simple language for kids.
Just like any technology or online activity, children benefit fromparents and caregivers being actively involved. We
encourage families to learn, play and discuss their gaming activities
together, and this toolkit is designed to support this.

HOW TO USE THIS TOOLKITThis toolkit is divided into two parts. Part 1 sets out general tips to support your children to game safely and responsibly. Part 2 is organisedby age group to help you get familiar with common safety risks and tools to respond with three steps:

1

2

3

Learn

ExploreSupportUnderstand which
parental and user
controls areappropriate for thisage group.

Work with your childto guide them
towards resilient
habits.

Behaviour patterns
to look out for andwhere to go for
additional help.

PART 1: GENERAL GAMING SAFETY GUIDANCEFOR ALL AGESOpen discussions, building mutual trust, and supervision are all crucial
aspects of keeping children safe online. However, it is also important tobe aware of the tools you can use on our services.

WHAT ARE PARENTAL CONTROLS?
Parental controls are features within a platform, such as Xbox consoles
and apps, that enable parents and caregivers to set limits on content,
activity, and interactions on a platform. The player and the parent willusually have separate accounts which allow the adult to set up features on
the child account. Parental controls are different from user controls whichallow a player to control their own experience.
According to Microsoft’s Global Online Safety Survey 2023, 67% ofSingaporean parents are using parental control tools with an average of
2.9 types of tools.
Parental controls should not just be set and forget. Instead, they are mosteffective when integrated into a family-wide approach to safety.
Appropriate use of parental controls depends on your family’s situationand values.
We encourage open conversations with your child about the use ofparental controls. Being transparent about these tools is important forbuilding trust and showing young people that you respect their privacy.
We also recommend talking to them about the user controls they can
implement on their own account, and why these are important forkeeping them safe and creating a happy gaming experience.

These days, being a gamer often includes more than playing on aconsole. Games can be played on secondary devices like phones, laptops,
and desktop computers and using other apps including gaming-adjacentplatforms for communicating. It’s important to think about safety settings
across all the devices and platforms that children use to participate in thegaming community and to connect with others.

WITH PARENTAL CONTROLS YOU CAN…
• Support the rules and boundaries you set for kids
• Leverage technology to create additional barriers between kids
and harmful content and activities• Use content filters to set age-appropriate limits for games andcontent• Through activity reports, confirm kids are only doing what you
expect• Manage interactions with other players for younger users toensure they only connect with real-world/trusted friends• Set up screen time limits to enforce boundaries suitable toyour family• Manage spending so all purchases require your approval or
only allocating small $$ amounts

SETTING XBOX ACCOUNTS UP FOR
SUCCESS
Across the Xbox gaming ecosystem, the Xbox Family Settings tools
allow you to manage a variety of settings in your child’s gaming.
The Xbox Family Settings app is the easiest way to manage
everything in one place, and access useful reports.
Children should be set up with child accounts, with you as thefamily "organiser."​ As an organiser, you can set screen time limits;
establish website, search and game filters; view activity reports and
more.
There are multiple ways to set up and use family settings acrossour gaming ecosystem, including on a browser, using an Xbox
console and in our apps. With these options you can manage yourchild’s gaming, without needing to use the Xbox controller.​
In addition to providing parental controls, as a platform we also
have a responsibility to create a safe environment for our
players. For years, we’ve been using a set of content moderation
tools to proactively help us deal with policy-violating text, images,
and video shared by players on Xbox. Our proactive moderation
allows us to catch negative content and conduct before it reaches
players. We continue to invest and improve our tech so players canhave safe, positive, and inviting experiences.
Xbox Family Settings app

GENERAL GAMING SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR CHILDREN OF ALL AGES

1
2
3

Become familiar withdifferent game genres

Be involved and co-createboundaries with your childChampion the importanceof privacy and good cyberhabitsThere are so many different types of games, and we recommend learning about these so
you can speak the same language as your kids! Popular game types in Singapore include
puzzle games, action/adventure games, and shooter games. IMDA classifies video
games meant for physical distribution in Singapore, and you can refer to its Video GameClassification Database for the associated classification decisions of such games.

Take an interest in young people’s digital lives. Discuss and agree upon new rules
together so they feel empowered and part of the decision-making process. Explore
gaming activities together and make sure you have an idea of the games they’re playing
and players they’re interacting with.
See if you can listen-in on voice channels with your child so you can experience thediscussion and understand who they interact with and how they communicate.

Talk about and model good cyber hygiene including using strong passwords, thinking
twice about what is posted online, keeping accounts private or friends-only, ensuring
devices are up-to-date and using multi-factor authentication.

Check out Minecraft’s Home Sweet Hmm and Privacy Prodigy games for fun ways tolearn about privacy and safety. Encourage young people to learn about how their data isused, starting with this Xbox Data Collection for Kids resource.

GENERAL GAMING SAFETY GUIDANCE FOR KIDS OF ALL AGES

4

Encourage respectful andempathetic communication

Remind young people that if it is not OK to say or do something face to face, it is not OK
online. Recognise that everyone has different backgrounds and perspectives. The Xbox
Community Standards outline what is tolerated on the platform and our Digital Civility
Challenge describes four online civility ideals. Singapore's Media Literacy Council has auseful guide on positive online behaviours and ways to use the internet positively.

5

Stay calm and open andtalk about how the online
world makes them feel

Try to avoid judgment when talking to young people, so they feel comfortable coming
to you when they need support. Get your child in the habit of discussing how they feel
when they go online and engage in gaming. This can help them develop the skills to
express when something doesn’t feel right.

For young children

While gaming can begin below the age of 5, we recommend caregivers accompany
young children at all times with parental controls set at the highest safety levels. Be sure
to check the age ratings on all games to ensure they are appropriate.

6

COMMON GAMING SAFETY RISKS
The first step to safety is understanding and recognising risk. Microsoft research found that 77% of respondents in Singapore reported experiencing an online
risk in 2023. This section provides a high-level overview of common gaming risks and provides links to trusted advice from partner organisations in Singapore.
Reporting harmful content or behaviour is important for helping to keep platforms safe, and Xbox is constantly updating our systems and processes toempower players to respectfully interact with one another. For example, the launch of the enforcement strike system in August 2023 is a way for players tounderstand enforcement more clearly.
•

How to report a player | Xbox Support•

Player Reporting in Minecraft

This player journey infographic
illustrates some of the features andcapabilities we have, to make theplayer experience safer.

1. HARMFUL AND AGE-INAPPROPRIATECONTENTIn any online or connected space there is a risk that young people may
be exposed to content that they’re not ready for.​ In a gaming scenario
this could be content that is within the game or that is shared by otherplayers via in-game chat functions, voice channels, clubs or in otherpeople’s activity feeds. Images, videos, text or even audio can containcontent that young people may find upsetting.
We recognise that everyone has a different tolerance for content,
however, on our gaming services we have strict rules about the type ofcontent that can be shared. We encourage you to read our Xbox
Community Standards and Minecraft Community Standards, and to getfamiliar with what is and isn’t acceptable.

These standards build on the Code of Conduct Section in the Microsoft
Services Agreement which is also helpful to read. If you or your childsees inappropriate content or behaviour on our services (even if it is notdirected at them), please report it so we can take suitable action toprotect users.
For families using Xbox Game Pass, age-limits for content still apply
to titles offered as part of the subscription service. A child will needto request parental consent to download a game rated above therelevant age-limit.
Learn more•

Protect your children from inappropriate content | Digital for Life•

Safeguard yourself and your child against inappropriate content |Media Literacy Council•

Helping your teen to handle inappropriate content | Help123

3. GROOMING AND UNWANTEDCONTACT
Unwanted contact can be any online communication that a young
person finds uncomfortable and could lead them into a situation where
they feel unsafe. It can come from strangers, online friends or evensomeone they know in real life.

A similar process may also be used by violent extremist recruiters toenlist young people to hate-based causes. Recruiters look for vulnerable
people, including individuals who appear isolated, express loneliness or
have low self-esteem.

Grooming is when predators target individuals for exploitation, which
may be sexual in nature. The grooming process typically involves anolder person befriending a young person and winning trust by giving
them personal attention. This may involve being highly responsive andflattering or offering material or virtual gifts.

Extremist recruiters look for people searching for meaning or purposeto their life, and appeal to their need for community. ​A common
strategy is to suggest a conversation is taken off the gaming platform toa different space such as an encrypted messaging app.

If someone threatens to share a nude image or video of someone, thatis a type of image-based abuse (sometimes referred to as “revenge
porn”) and it can be reported to SHECARES@SCWO.
If someone is blackmailing a young person by threatening to share theirnude image or video unless they pay or send more, this serious crime(sometimes referred to as “sextortion”) should be reported directly to
the National Anti-Violence Helpline or you may call the National AntiViolence and Sexual Harassment hotline at 1800-777-0000.

Microsoft and Xbox have a zero-tolerance approach to grooming
behaviours across all our services and any discovered behaviour should
be reported to the platform. If you think a young person’s safety is at
risk, call the police and for less-immediate harm you can seek advice
from the National Anti-Violence Helpline or apply for a PersonalProtection Order (PPO) under the Protection from Harassment Act.
Learn more•

Grooming and unwanted contact | Media Literacy Council•

Say no to online harassment | Digital for Life

2. BULLYING AND HARASSMENT
Multi-player games, communications functions, and the ability for users
to upload content on some games means that these can be forums
where bullying and harassment occurs.​ Harassment can take many
forms and may be perpetrated by someone they know. Hate speech is asevere form of harassment which may include attacks on personal
characteristics, especially things like race, gender identity, sexual
orientation, and religion. ​People of any age can be harassed through taunting messages, namecalling, threats, vicious comments or the sharing of personal informationsuch as a home address. Bullying might be perpetrated by an individual
or multiple players.
If you can’t find a resolution to the issue on a platform, then it may benecessary to escalate this through the school.

If you are concerned your child is bullying others, then try to talk about
this with them to understand why they are doing this in a nonjudgemental way. It is important to normalise that people makemistakes and focus on connecting with your child to understand whatmight be contributing to this behaviour, as well as co-developing
strategies to prevent it happening again.
We have made clear what we think constitutes bullying behaviour in ourXbox Community Standards. If someone is breaching those standards,
you can report them, as well as blocking and muting them. Player
settings, including message filters, can also be customised to the level aplayer feels comfortable.
Learn more•

Cyberbullying Resources | Media Literacy Council•

Articles on Cyberbullying | Help123•

Cyber Bullying | Digital for Life

4. SCREENTIME
There is no magic number of hours in front of screens or gaming. Whatis appropriate for your child depends on your family's context andother activities, and these factors may change over time. ​When
balanced with enough sleep and other activities, including physicalactivity, spending time gaming with screens is often not a problem.
Games can be educational, encourage teamwork, and help develop
problem solving and critical thinking skills. However, if your child's
gaming starts to have a negative impact on them or their relationships,
it may be time to consider ways to manage this.
Screentime can be managed through the Xbox Family Settings tools.
Learn more•

Guidance on Screen Use | Ministry of Health•

Screentime management | Help123•

Avoid Digital Burnout | Digital for Life•

How much time should my child spend on screens? | Media Literacy
CouncilXbox Family Settings app

5. IN-GAME PURCHASES
Some games are free to download but require payment for otherthings like additional content. Young people may not be aware of
the real cost and could incur costs.
Spending limits can be added to your child’s account through theXbox Family Settings tools. You can also add settings to requireapproval for all purchases on the account.
We recognise concerns around gambling-type behaviours on somegames. Loot boxes are one of the many items that games offer forsale as many players like the element of chance. We provide a clear
policy around how Xbox Game Studios offers loot boxes in ourgames, including always offering fair value, content probability
disclosure and no pay to play in premium games.

Encouraging young people to be wary of scam activity relating totheir accounts is also helpful across their digital lives.
Learn more•

My First Experience with a Gacha Game | Comeback

Xbox Family Settings app

To make a report and seek help
SG Helplines
Better Internet | List of Support Organisations

Other useful resources
Guidelines on Online Safety | Singapore Police Force

Online Safety Information for Parents | Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore
Online Safety Information for Students | Cybersecurity Agency of Singapore
Parents Resource | Comeback

SHECARES@SCWO Support Centre - SHE | SG Her Empowerment

PART 2: AGE-SPECIFIC ADVICEThis section sets out guidance for different age groups who are likely to be at different stages of online
exploration. As all children develop differently, these age-specific recommendations may not be equally
relevant and can be used as a guide.
For children under the age of 5 we recommend focusing on modelling good behaviours, particularlyaround screens and setting clear rules. Building safety awareness from a young age helps establish goodpatterns for life.

5-8 year
olds:
cultivating positive
behaviours
5-8 YEAROLDS– CULTIVATINGPOSITIVE
BEHAVIOURSFor children in this age group, we recommend taking a close interest in all aspects of their digital
lives, including gaming. At this age you can model and encourage positive online habits by exploring
things together.

It makes sense to set more boundaries and use the highest level of parental controls to curate yourchild’s experience. This includes strict limits on who children can interact with (if anyone), restrictions
on content types and spending limits.

5-8 YEAR OLDS
Learn
At this age, we encourage accounts to be set up and managed byparents. It is critical that you set up their account as a child account so you
can use the parental controls correctly. Once set up, add their account toyours through the Xbox Family Settings app or Microsoft Family Safety
portal.
When you set up a child’s account with the correct date of birth, thesettings will default to blocking almost all interaction. We also recommend
you manually check all settings to make sure they work for your family.
For families using Xbox Game Pass, age-limits for content still apply totitles offered as part of the subscription service. A child will need torequest parental consent to download a game rated above the relevant
age-limit.
On the Xbox Family Settings app navigate to your child and press thesettings icon. Set controls to the highest level to ensure:•

You manage who they can communicate with on Xbox Live (wesuggest “friends only” or “no one”) and only allow them to add friends
with your approval•Content limits are set to the most age-appropriate, including for web
searches•

Set message filtering to be “child default” for content they can receivein messages•

Set screentime limits appropriate to your family•Manage Minecraft settings including access to multiplayer games and
clubs

•

Ensure “ask to buy” is on so they can only make purchases with yourapproval

Read community/user guidelines so you’re familiar with what is allowedon our gaming services.

5-8 YEAR OLDS
Explore•Choose appropriate games to play with your child, making sure they
are suitable for their age and stage of development. You can findhelpful information on game classifications here.
•

Game Rating Information | Xbox•

Video Games | IMDA•

Play games with your child to see what they’re exposed to anddemonstrate good gaming habits. If there is a voice chat option, listen
to the conversations in the chat.

•Set rules about where children can use their devices to play games – itis recommended that this include using devices only in shared areasand not in their bedroom.

•

Start practicing good habits around privacy, screentime and online
behaviour with children and talk about why they are important.

•

Initiate conversations about online activities, gaming, and how it makes
them feel.

Support•Pay attention to how gaming makes your child behave - are they
happy, sad, anxious, confused?

•

Be on the lookout for changes in mood or behaviour, including ashorter temper or becoming withdrawn.

CASE STUDY – Zhi Wei, parent of daughter aged 7
Zhi Wei is an avid gamer who frequently plays
Xbox. Since becoming a parent, he has been
eager to introduce his hobby to his 7-year-old
daughter and has identified Minecraft as a suitableentry point.
Zhi Wei starts by creating a child account for his
daughter inside the Xbox Family Settings app. He
creates a new Outlook account for his daughter
using her birthdate to establish the correct default
settings. The child account is automatically linked
to his family group with him as the organiser.
As he indicated that his daughter is 7 years old,the settings on her account default to the highest
level of privacy and content filtering. Zhi Wei alsouses the app to double check and adjust thecontent and messaging filters, interaction withother players, spending and activity reporting.

Zhi Wei plays with his daughter most of the time.
Occasionally he will leave her playing alone but isgenerally in the same room so he can keep an eye
on things. Because he is conscious of setting up
good screentime-habits they only play for a
maximum one hour per day. Zhi Wei uses thescreentime settings on the Xbox Family Settings app
to enforce this.
Zhi Wei regularly checks in with his daughter to see
how she is feeling when she is gaming and discuss
anything difficult that may have happened.
As his daughter gets older, Zhi Wei adjusts some ofthe settings to allow more gameplay andinteraction on Minecraft. Zhi Wei uses the app to do
all of this in one place.

Xbox Family Settings app9-12
year –
olds:
fostering independence
8-12 YEAROLDS
FOSTERING
INDEPENDENCE
Between 9-12 years is a great time for children to start learning to game independently while still
under a carer’s supervision. We encourage open conversations with your child on appropriate limits
about the types of games they play and interactions with others online.
Age-appropriate games and the default settings for children under 13 are recommended for children
in this age group. We recommend being transparent about the use of parental controls andexplaining why you are using them and common online risks.

9-12 YEAR OLDS
Learn
A mix of parental and user controls can be used, and we recommend
setting up both with your child. Parental controls can be set up using theXbox Family Settings app by navigating to your child’s profile and pressing
the settings icon.
•

Limit online interactions to those you approve, discussing who each
person is with your child before you do so•

Set message filtering to be “child default” for content they can receivein messages•

Set appropriate content restrictions or age limits on the types ofgames played•

Set agreed screentime limits•

Explain how in-app purchases work and set appropriate spending
limitsTogether you can set up these user controls on the child’s account to:•

Mute or block a person they no longer wish to interact with•

Set up messaging filters to filter text, media, and web links to only
allow “friendly” content – these apply to content shared by users not
on friends lists. Watch this demo on how it works

It can be helpful to role play scenarios where your child might want toblock or restrict someone, so they feel more confident to do so9-12 YEAR OLDS
Explore••Begin to give some independence to your child by talking together tocurate a list of age-appropriate games that they can play, considering
their preferences and recommendations.

Support•

Review community and user guidelines with your child so they knowwhat is acceptable on the gaming platform.

•

Continue to model good digital habits at home while slowly
transitioning from gaming being a supervised group activity to include
some solo gaming time.

•

Co-create rules and agree on game time limits, types of games, whereto access devices – which might now include at school, with friends.

•

Introduce them to the concept of privacy and teach the basic rules ofprotecting their privacy as respecting others’ privacy. Minecraft’s
Privacy Prodigy is a fun resource for families.

•

Check in regularly with your child about how gaming affects their
feelings and relationships and encourage your child to share with you
their experiences and encounters while gaming.

While allowing some independence, closely monitor behaviouralchanges including:•

Quickly changing screens, switching off devices or muting
audio when someone else enters the room•

Playing more often when unsupervised or using portabledevices in private areas such as bathrooms•

Withdrawn behaviour including being more defensive or lessreactive to events and people•

Becoming stressed or upset when online or using emotionallycharged or hateful language•

Look out for sexually explicit content, or violent content on theirdevices, evidence of visits to inappropriate websites, encrypted apps
or platforms or live-streaming apps.

•

You can also view device and app use histories and gaming activity
reports.

CASE STUDY – Mohammed, 12 years old
Mohammed, 12 years old, was given an Xbox for hisbirthday. His mother, Fatima, takes a close interest in
his use of screens and games because she has
friends whose children had a bad experience onsocial media. Rather than leaving Mohammed to set
up the Xbox alone, she goes through the processwith him.
Fatima downloads the Xbox Family Settings
app and together with Mohammed creates a
new account for Mohammed, starting with anemail address.
After Mohammed has been playing online for a few
days, Fatima requests a notification that “Adam2011”
wants to add Mohammed as a friend. Fatima knows
Adam from Mohammed’s school so accepts therequest.

A couple of days later, Fatima notices that
Mohammed is acting down and is less animatedthan normal, so she gently starts a conversation
with her son about how he is feeling. Mohammed
explains that Adam has been teasing him at school
and is now taunting him via gaming chat.

Fatima sits down with Mohammed and together
they look at the list of approved friends on his
Xbox child account. They go through and remove
a few of names that are causing Mohammed
trouble at school. They also report Adam’s accountfor the teasing comments, so that he is clear on
what is appropriate for in-game chat.
Fatima and Mohammed agree on a new rule, thatthey will now discuss any new friend requests that
Mohammed receives on Xbox using this as anopportunity for Mohammed to share anythingthat is going on at school.
Finally, as this situation is playing out at school,
Fatima also arranges time to see Mohammed’s
teacher and talk about the bullying.

13-15 year olds: empowering youths to be confident
gamersFor children between 13-15, we recommend continuing to develop an open and trust-based
relationship that supports greater independence and may include some unsupervised play. It is
important to find an appropriate balance for your family between maintaining supervision andallowing more freedom and privacy for your child.
At this age it is often more effective to discuss and negotiate rules rather dictate them.

13-15 YEAR OLDS
Learn
The balance between parental controls and trusting your child to gamesafely will likely change again during this time. We recommend children
start to build their knowledge of safety tools, so they have some control
over the content and interactions they are exposed to when gaming.
Together, you can set the controls on the young person’s account to:•Manage who sees their profile information and who can contact them•

Mute or block a person they no longer wish to interact with•

Report interactions or content that breach the community and user
guidelines•

Set messaging filters to manage the type of media, text and weblinks
they receive from players not on their friends lists

It is important to keep an open dialogue and check in regularly with yourchild to agree on appropriate screentime and spending limits.

13-15 YEAR OLDS
Explore•••Have a trust-based and non-judgmental relationship and understandthat this age group values independence and freedom more. Talk
about children’s online activity and the types of games and content
they enjoy.

Support•Transition from reviewing good online habits to trusting your child toknow how to behave.

Keep a close eye on any sudden behavioural changes such as:•

tiredness, sleep disturbance, headaches, eye strain, changes ineating, sleeping or personal hygiene•

not doing as well at school, obsession with certain websites orgames or popular trends•

extreme anger when being asked to take a break from online
activity, appearing anxious or irritable when away from thecomputer•becoming withdrawn from friends and family, excessive in-app
spending

Discuss privacy as well as consent and together review Privacy foryoung people – Microsoft privacy.

•

Occasionally review online histories together and keep track of
topics/websites/types of games your child likes•

Be aware of harmful online influences including hate-based
groups which may use messaging or gaming services to target
vulnerable young people. Different language, signs and symbols may
also be reflective of hate-based ideologies. There are helpful resources
available such as this database, which contains a detailed list ofcommon hate symbols

CASE STUDY – Radhika, 15 years old
Radhika is a 15-year old girl whose parents are notvery tech savvy. Radhika has an Xbox but never
had a child account set up so she manages her
own settings. She’s never really paid them muchattention or switched on settings like message
filtering or limiting receiving messages to ‘friends
lists’, which means anyone can send hermessages.
Radhika receives a message containing a nudephoto of someone she doesn’t know and asking
her to send a photo of herself in the same
position. This makes her feel nervous and scared,
and her parents start to notice she’s becoming
withdrawn. Radhika’s mum asks her what is goingon, reminding Radhika that she can tell themanything and that they only want to support her,
without judgement.

Radhika shares her experience. Radhika’s mum
talks to her about the importance of reporting this,so other people don’t have to feel the same way
Radhika did.
Radhika and her mum make a report to Xbox
together using Radhika’s console. They then readabout the settings Radhika can switch on toprevent this from happening again. She starts byblocking the player that sent the message, thenupdating her settings so only people on her
friends list can see her profile and send messages.
Finally, she turns on message filtering settings to“medium” so that she won’t receive inappropriate
content from other players on Xbox.
This incident prompts Radhika to dial up her
privacy settings across all her online and gaming
accounts

16+
YEARS
OLD
–
CHAMPIONINGA
NEW
16+ year olds: championing a new generation of gamers
GENERATION OF GAMERS
From age 16 young people will likely start to feel more confident to manage their gaming and online
lives independently, and will naturally want parents and caregivers to be less involved. At the sametime, it is important to make sure they still feel comfortable coming to you if they need help.

16+ YEAR OLDS
Learn
Depending on your family, and the young person’s level of independence,
parental controls may no longer be appropriate. To respect young
people’s privacy and independence it is a good idea to discuss any
ongoing use of parental controls with them.
Work with the young person to set up their user controls in a protective
way for them.
•Manage privacy settings, including who can see their profile andcontact them•

Mute or block players that they don’t want to be contacted by•

Report players that have made them uncomfortable or breached our
Community Standards•

Turn on messaging filters to control the type of content that comesfrom players not on friends lists•

Get familiar with how data is used•

For spending limits, you can do this via parental controls or encourage
young people to use their own money16+ YEAR OLDS
Explore•Encourage discussions around online risks and how these relate togaming. Be interested in what young people are learning at school
about the online world.

•Make sure young people know they can come to you if things makethem feel uncomfortable online.

•

Young people in this age group can be extremely tech-savvy. Be open
to the fact they might know more about the latest technology - try tolisten and learn.

••

Have frequent conversations about who young people are speaking toonline and encourage them to be curious if new friends try to add orcontact them on any kind of platform.
If you set spending limits for games, talk to young people about thevalue of money and why you’re doing this.

Support••Young people of this age naturally go through many changes, so
it can be hard to notice behavioural changes that are influenced
by gaming. Speak to teachers about what they’re noticing and beon the lookout for certain things like:•

Spending excess time alone, on their device or in theirroom•

Becoming withdrawn or isolated•

Asking for money•

Quickly closing their screen when you enter the roomBe aware of harmful online influences including hate-based
groups which may use messaging or gaming services to target
vulnerable young people. Watch out for noticeable shifts in theirworldview or intolerances for certain groups of people. Different
language, signs and symbols may also be reflective of hate-based
ideologies. There are helpful resources available such as thisdatabase, which contains a detailed list of common hate symbols.

CASE STUDY – Sam, 16 years old
Sam is a 16-year-old, whose parents are both busy
professionals. Sam spends a lot of time on Xbox
playing first person games and is also active on agaming-adjacent platform where he chats withothers whilst gaming. Recently Sam has been
expressing intolerant views about certain
communities in Singapore.
One day Sam’s mum, Rose notices a sticker withan odd symbol on Sam’s laptop. She asks him why
he has that sticker, and Sam quickly grabs his
device and leaves. She finds more information
online and realizes that a lot of the language Sam
has been using recently is reflected in discussions
around a prominent hate-based organisation.
Rose talks to Sam, telling him she isn’t angry andjust wants to understand. He eventually tells her
about his new online friend who has been sharing
material on the gaming adjacent platform.

Microsoft has explicitly prohibited the postingof terrorist and violent extremist content acrossour services, so the content shared with Sam
would be in breach of our policies. We also use arange of proactive detection technologies to
identify terrorist and violent extremist content toprevent it from being seen by players. Players that
try to share this content could be subject to arange of enforcement actions including lifetimebans.
However, it is important to be aware that
often recruiters encourage moving conversations
to another platform such as an encrypted chat ora gaming-adjacent communications service.
Rose and Sam have long conversations
about what has been going on, and Rose helps
him to understand he has been led down adangerous path. Following advice on Singapore’s
SGSecure website, they report the player that had
contacted Sam to the ISD Counter-Terrorism
Centre hotline.

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