What steps should parents take if their teenager is being targeted with humiliating edits or fake posts online? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a teenager is targeted with mockery through fake posts, humiliating edits, or doctored images online, the emotional harm can feel unbearable. Unlike traditional teasing, this form of digital humiliation can spread incredibly quickly and lingers permanently online, leaving a teenager feeling trapped and exposed. It is essential for parents to act with a sense of urgency, showing their child that they are not alone, while also taking firm and practical steps to stop the abuse. 

Reassure and Validate First 

Your first words should be to tell your teenager: ‘This is absolutely not your fault. You have done nothing to deserve this, and I am here to help you get through it.’ Acknowledging their pain and affirming their innocence is a crucial first step that helps to counter the shame that bullies are trying to create. 

Gather Evidence Calmly 

It is important to take screenshots of the abusive posts, messages, and edited images. You should do this calmly and, if possible, with your teenager present, so they understand that your goal is justice and protection, not an invasion of their privacy. 

Report, Block, and Involve Authorities 

Use the platform’s built-in tools to report the fake posts and accounts, block the offenders, and formally request the removal of the harmful content. In more severe cases, it may be necessary to involve the school or even legal authorities to ensure accountability. 

Restore Their Emotional Safety 

Balance these practical actions with emotional care. Encourage your teenager to take a break from the specific platforms where the harassment occurred, to spend time in supportive and positive environments, and to re-centre their sense of confidence in the love of their family and their faith, rather than in online opinion. 

By combining empathy with practical and protective actions, you can show your teenager that online humiliation does not define them, and that resilience and support are what truly matter. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam strictly forbids all forms of false accusation, mockery, and the spreading of lies. The honour of a believer is considered sacred, and to violate it is among the gravest of sins. Parents should use this as an opportunity to remind their teenager that their true worth is not in any way diminished by the cruelty or sinful behaviour of others. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verses 12: 

‘…And do not spy (on each other) and do not let some of you backbite against others; would one of you like to eat the meat of his mortally expired brother? Not at all – you would find it repulsive; and so seek piety from Allah (Almighty), indeed, Allah (Almighty) is the Greatest Exonerator and the Most Merciful.’ 

This powerful analogy shows just how serious harming another person’s dignity and reputation is in the sight of Allah. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2589, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Do you know what backbiting is?’ They said, ‘Allah and His Messenger know best.’ He said, ‘It is to mention about your brother something he would dislike.’ It was said, ‘What if that which I say about my brother is true?’ He said, ‘If it is true, you have backbitten him, and if it is false, you have slandered him.’ 

This teaching makes it clear that spreading hurtful words or images about another person is a serious sin, regardless of whether the information is true or false. 

By anchoring your support in these unshakeable principles, you can help your teenager to see that being mocked or slandered online is not a reflection of their own weakness, but is an injustice for which Allah Almighty promises full accountability. Over time, this helps a child to learn that their true dignity rests with Allah, not with the fleeting and often cruel opinions of their peers.