Advice/Help Roleplaying with minors

[Augustus_79AD]

Hello, I feel I have a semi-unique situation here, I (20) have been roleplaying with someone who is 14 I believe. I've recently stopped contacting them for personal reasons however I see there's a lot of toss up in what is appropriate and what is not in the RP community. We NEVER wrote any smut or sex scenes, not even close. Yes our rp's have romance themes but they are between characters and I am in no way at all attracted to this kid. It's fluff really, cuddling, hugging, holding hands. Kissing is rather rare. A lot of the times characters just hang out. Another half of the plot is 'defeating the bad guys'. I realized some of the texts went a little too dark or deep for my liking so I rationed that I won't let that happen again. But they were both really minor instances. A lot of it is just plain fun. They're very good at respecting boundaries, their mom is aware I exist. Even my mom knows about this. Neither has an issue. As long as I'm careful and there are certain boundaries in place, I'm not necessarily doing anything wrong, right?

 

[Idea]

I mean it seems to me like you went above and beyond what you needed to, so yeah I guess?

 

[Merciless Medic]

I wouldn't worry too much about all this, Augustus. You are doing what you need to and that is enough. The biggest toss up in the community, I guess, is whether the age group fits and if older people are comfortable with RPing with minors. It is our duty to make sure nothing goes past what their age bracket allows, and I applaud you for doing your best to make sure everything is safe. It's a level of responsibility some people don't want to tackle. A lot of the major romance stuff that gets a little much end up putting a lot of what the action does emotionally to a person, and sometimes that can really extend into more and more stuff that probably is nearing that line.

Just as long as you have boundaries and she respects them and you two are keeping it relatively safe for you two, that is completely okay. Good job, by the way, and I appreciate you asking even though making a thread such as this was incredibly difficult to do (probably very nerve-wracking, if I'm not mistaken).

 

[Daisie]

It sounds fine to me I find that if you're stressing over whether or not you're doing the right thing, chances are your heart is in the right spot.
It's good that the kid's parents are aware. To be honest, that's gonna be what keeps them safe on the internet, given their parents are good and watchful people.
The fluffy stuff sounds fine, too! Heck, I know at that age I was beginning to explore romance in RP, and I was hooked by some more grim, emotional stuff. Teen years are just the time to be exploring concepts like romance, and fiction is a cool medium to be doing that with. I'm glad they are able to explore that interest alongside someone who is very careful and conscious to them.

 

[nerdy tangents]

So I’m 30 and I don’t police the age of my partners. I tell people my age when I introduce myself and let them determine if they’re comfortable with writing with me.

I have had lovely roleplays with minors in the past that were no different to my roleplays with people over 20. Largely because I don’t treat age as a particularly important part of someone’s identity.

I might have to explain some references in a different way to a minor then someone in their twenties but that’s really the extent of it.

Now I don’t really do romance in general without a lot of discussion beforehand. And I have more trouble with people closer to my own age then I ever do with minors.

So yeah if you are having fun I wouldn’t stress yourself out. Talking to children doesn’t make you a pedophile or a bad person.

It just means your don’t have the hang ups as other roleplayers and that’s okay.

 

[GojiBean]

Greetings.

There are no rules or limitations regarding the age of the people you role-play with so long as you are respectful and do not attempt to engage in any sexual conversation or interactions with them off the page. What happens between characters on the page stays on the page and in no way reflects you or the way you feel about your role-play partner. So don't worry about that kind of thing.

Just be sure to always mind your behavior outside of the RP and you'll be fine.

Cheers!