How can they repair relationships after online disrespect? 

Parenting Perspective 

When a child or teenager is disrespectful online, whether through harsh words or mocking comments, it can easily harm trust and damage friendships. Repairing these relationships involves more than just a quick apology; it requires taking responsibility, making sincere amends, and demonstrating a change in behaviour. 

Acknowledge the Mistake 

Encourage your child to specifically name what they did wrong. A vague apology is often not enough. For example, they could say, ‘I should not have spoken to you like that in the group chat yesterday.’ A specific acknowledgement feels much more genuine to the person who was hurt. 

Offer a Sincere Apology 

Teach your child to apologise directly and respectfully, without making excuses for their behaviour. A simple statement like, ‘I was wrong to send that message, and I am sorry if it hurt your feelings,’ is very effective. This demonstrates accountability and humility, which are key to rebuilding trust. 

Repair with Positive Action 

If it is possible, encourage your child to follow up their apology with a kind and positive gesture. This could be sending an encouraging private message or showing extra support in another way. Positive actions help to demonstrate that the apology is backed by a real change of heart. 

Reflect and Reset Boundaries 

Help your child to reflect on why the disrespect happened in the first place. Was it due to frustration, sarcasm, or peer pressure? By understanding the cause, you can guide them towards healthier and more respectful ways of responding in the future, which helps to prevent the same mistake from being repeated. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that while mistakes are human, the path to restoring relationships is through sincere repentance, forgiveness, and making amends. Guiding a child through this process is a vital part of their moral and spiritual upbringing. 

The Virtue of Pardoning Others 

The Quran praises those who are able to pardon others, identifying this quality as an act of goodness that is beloved to Allah. This encourages us to both seek and grant forgiveness. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Aalai Imran (3), Verses 134: 

‘ Those (the believers are the ones) that spend (in the way of Allah Almighty) in times of abundance and hardship; they suppress their anger; and are forgiving to people; and Allah (Almighty) loves those who are benevolent.‘ 

The Power of Sincere Repentance 

The prophetic tradition teaches that a sincere and heartfelt act of repentance has the power to completely wipe away a wrong deed, allowing for a fresh start in our relationships. 

It is recorded in Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith 4250, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The one who repents from sin is like the one who never sinned.’ 

By guiding your child to repair online disrespect with sincerity, you are rooting their actions in the Islamic values of repentance, forgiveness, and humility. They learn that their mistakes do not have to be the end of a relationship, but can instead become opportunities to grow stronger in both their faith and their character.