How can parents respond when their child is pressured by peers to join risky online dares or challenges? 

Parenting Perspective 

Online dares and challenges can often seem like harmless fun at first, but they can quickly turn dangerous, whether physically, emotionally, or spiritually. When a child is being pressured by their peers to participate, they can feel trapped between their loyalty to their friends and their loyalty to their own values. It is essential for parents to step in with a sense of calm authority, validating the pressure their child is feeling, while firmly guiding them to resist it. 

Listen Before You Correct 

It is always best to begin by acknowledging the struggle they are facing: ‘I know it must be very difficult when your friends are all pushing you to join in with something.’ This empathetic opening helps your child to feel understood rather than judged, creating a safe space for an honest conversation. 

Explain the Real Risks Involved 

Without using fearmongering tactics, calmly explain how some online dares can lead to serious injury, public humiliation, or long-term regret. If appropriate, you can link it to real-life examples, showing them that while peer approval is temporary, the lasting consequences can be very real. 

Equip Them With Responses 

Work with your child to practise simple and direct phrases they can use to refuse. Saying something like, ‘No thank you, that is not really for me,’ or ‘I would rather do something else,’ can be very effective. Giving your child the right words to use makes it much easier for them to stand firm under pressure. 

Offer Alternative Sources of Belonging 

Encourage your child to build and maintain friendships and to participate in activities that celebrate their individuality rather than pressuring them to conform. When children feel secure and valued in other areas of their life, they are far less likely to be swayed by risky peer trends. 

By combining empathy with firm boundaries, you can help your child to learn that saying ‘no’ to a harmful dare is a true form of courage, not a weakness. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam provides strong and clear warnings against blindly following the crowd into acts that are either harmful or sinful. It reminds us that real strength of character is found in standing firm upon the truth, even if others may mock or pressure us for it. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al An’aam (6), Verses 116: 

‘…And if you obey (the opinions) of the vast majority of those (who live) on the Earth, you will be mislead from the pathway towards Allah (Almighty); they do not follow anything except (whimsical) assumptions…’ 

This verse is a direct reminder for children that the approval of the majority does not automatically make something right or safe in the sight of Allah. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2378, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘A person is upon the religion of his close friend, so let one of you look at whom he befriends.’ 

This teaching highlights the profound influence our friends have on our actions and our character. It encourages us to choose friends who will uplift our faith and values, not pressure us to compromise them. 

By rooting your guidance in both love and faith, you can help your child to see that real bravery lies in resisting harmful dares and in seeking the approval of Allah Almighty over the fleeting validation of their peers.