What it is
Discord is a place for group chats called servers, plus direct messages and voice calls. A lot of children meet it through games. Friends, teams, and fan communities all live there.
The app says it is for people 13 and older. Age checks are easy to skip. A single invite link can put a child in a server you have never seen, with private channels, direct messages, and voice chat. Some servers are openly adult.
What to look out for
- Invite links from people they do not know, including inside games.
- Direct messages turned on for server members.
- Servers with age-restricted or sexual channels.
- Voice chats that run late, especially with people who will not use a camera or their real name with you.
- Requests to download a file or to click a link for free game currency.
Ways to stay safe
These steps are for Discord. The house rules still apply on every app.
- Use Discord's Family Center if you are setting the account up together, and keep direct messages limited.
- Sit with them and look at the server list. If they cannot explain a server, leave it.
- Turn off friend requests from everyone, and do not accept messages from server members by default.
- Agree that "free V-Bucks", "free Robux", or similar offers are always a no.
- Younger children do not need Discord. A private voice chat with known friends is a smaller step.
In the news
Published reports you can read yourself. A headline is the proof, not a set of instructions, and this page does not repeat graphic detail.
- Criminals are using private messaging to groom children The NSPCC’s 2025 figures are about Snapchat, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. NBC’s investigation is the one about Discord.
- Discord servers used in child exploitation cases NBC reviewed prosecutions in which adults used Discord to contact children.
A way to start the conversation
Ask them to show you the servers the way they would show you a club at school: who runs it, who else is in it, and whether adults are talking to children in private.
Video
Discord parent briefing
A short video for this guide can be added by an editor. Until then, the written briefing above is the one to use.