How do I handle it when they laugh at copying another’s disrespect? 

Parenting Perspective 

It is especially worrying when a child laughs while copying another’s disrespectful behaviour. What may start as “just a joke” can quickly normalise hurtful actions and make disrespect seem entertaining. The danger lies not only in the disrespectful act itself but also in the attitude behind it finding amusement in mockery. Your role is to intervene early, teaching them that laughing at disrespect is a form of participation in it. 

Why Children Laugh at Disrespect 

Understanding the motivation behind their laughter helps you respond with calm firmness. Children often laugh at disrespect because: 

• They see others being entertained by it and are joining in with the group. 

• They confuse the shock value of cruelty with genuine humour. 

• They feel more confident and included when they join in with the laughter rather than standing apart. 

Address the Laughter Directly 

When your child laughs at a disrespectful act, pause the moment and address it calmly. 

‘I know that seemed funny, but disrespect is not something we laugh at in our family. It hurts people and it is not a joke.’ 

This statement separates the act from harmless fun and links their laughter to a sense of responsibility. 

Explain the Impact 

Help your child to develop empathy by guiding them to see the situation from the other person’s perspective. 

‘Imagine if someone was being disrespectful to you and everyone else was laughing. How would that make you feel?’ 

This simple question can awaken their compassion and make cruelty disguised as humour far less appealing. 

Offer Positive Alternatives 

Encourage your child to find and appreciate light, playful humour instead of mockery. Actively share family-friendly jokes or funny stories so they see that real joy does not need to come at someone else’s expense. This builds an appetite for kind humour. 

Reinforce Kind Reactions 

When you observe your child responding with seriousness or empathy instead of laughing at a disrespectful situation, praise that choice. 

‘I really liked how you did not laugh when your friend was being teased. That showed real maturity and strength of character.’ 

By correcting the laughter and explaining its impact, you teach your child that true humour brings people together, not tears them apart. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches us to avoid supporting or encouraging wrongdoing in any form. Laughing at or enjoying disrespect normalises sin and weakens the compassion in our hearts. A believer is commanded to uphold the dignity of others, not to find amusement in their humiliation. 

Treating sacred matters or the feelings of others as a joke is a serious transgression. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Tawbah (9), Verse 65: 

‘And if you were to ask them, they would surely say: “We were only (engaged in) gossip and joking around (with words just as a pastime);” say (O Prophet Muhammad ﷺ): “Is it Allah (Almighty) and His Signs (of the infinite truth) and His Messenger (Prophet Muhammad ﷺ), that you were seeking to scorn?”’ 

This powerful verse reminds us that claiming something is “just a joke” is not an excuse for mockery. Laughing at what is wrong is itself blameworthy in the sight of Allah. 

A believer must never seek to make people laugh at the expense of truth or another person’s dignity. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2315, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Woe to the one who speaks and lies to make people laugh, woe to him, woe to him.’ 

This hadith serves as a stark warning against humour that is rooted in falsehood or harm. By guiding your child to stop laughing at copied disrespect, you are not only protecting their manners but also nurturing their sense of empathy and spiritual accountability. Over time, they will learn that joy is meant to uplift, not humiliate.