How can sudden aggression or irritability hint that a child has been mocked or bullied online? 

Parenting Perspective 

It is easy to dismiss a child’s aggression or irritability as ‘just a bad mood.’ However, when this behaviour becomes sudden, intense, or out of character, it may be a sign of online bullying. Children who feel humiliated or mocked online often internalise that shame, and since they may not be able to express it directly, the frustration can surface as anger or irritability at home. Parents who learn to recognise this link can address the root cause with care, rather than only reacting to the surface-level behaviour. 

Displaced Anger 

A child who is being bullied online may lash out at their siblings or parents over seemingly minor issues. This anger is often not about the immediate family situation, but is instead a manifestation of the bottled-up humiliation they are experiencing in the digital world. Their anger is simply being redirected at a safe target. 

Sensitivity to Questions About Their Devices 

If your child becomes unusually defensive or angry when you ask them simple, non-judgmental questions about their phone, apps, or online chats, it may be because they now associate their device with painful interactions. Their anger is a defensive wall to prevent you from probing further into an area that is causing them pain. 

Changes in Self-Esteem 

Aggression can also be a way of masking deep feelings of inadequacy or powerlessness. A child who is being mocked or made to feel small online may react with hostility in other areas of their life as a way to reassert a sense of control that they have lost. 

How Parents Can Respond 

Rather than punishing the irritability immediately, it is far more effective to approach your child with empathy and a gentle opening for conversation. You could say: ‘I have noticed that you have been getting upset more easily lately. I know that sometimes this can happen when people say unkind things to us online. Has anything like that happened to you?’ This turns a moment of conflict into a bridge for conversation. 

By seeing a child’s aggression as a possible symptom of online bullying, parents can begin to guide them away from a place of anger and towards one of healing, support, and reassurance. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that harsh behaviour often conceals an inner pain, and it calls believers to always treat one another with compassion rather than resorting to mockery or ridicule. 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verses 11: 

‘ Those of you who are believers, do not let a nation ridicule another nation, as perhaps it may be that they are better than them; and let not the women (ridicule) other women, as perhaps they may be better than them; and do not insult each other; and do not call each other by (offensive) nicknames…’ 

This verse is a direct prohibition of the very behaviour that lies at the heart of bullying. It reminds us that mockery and ridicule are forbidden, as they cause deep wounds that often manifest in a person’s behaviour. 

It is recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2609, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The strong man is not the one who overpowers others in wrestling, but the strong man is the one who controls himself when angry.’ 

This teaching provides a powerful model for both the one being bullied and for the parent. It reminds us that anger, which is often born from pain, should ideally be channelled into patience and self-control, not into further conflict. 

By connecting their child’s aggression to the Islamic teachings on the evils of mockery and the virtue of controlling one’s anger, parents can gently guide them to see that their feelings of hurt are valid. They can show them that true strength lies not in lashing out, but in opening up about their pain. Over time, a child can learn that they can replace their feelings of irritation with resilience, and their pain with a deep and abiding trust in Allah Almighty.