How do I help my child when classmates mock them in a WhatsApp group? 

Parenting Perspective 

When your child is mocked online, especially in a group chat with classmates, the pain can be more intense than words spoken face to face. Humiliation in a digital space can feel public, permanent, and deeply isolating. The comments replay in their mind, and the ‘seen by everyone’ feature amplifies the shame. As a parent, your first instinct may be to confront the offenders or remove your child from the group. Before you react, however, remember that your child needs to feel emotionally secure and be equipped with both practical wisdom and spiritual strength, rather than simply being rescued from the situation. 

Start with Calm Presence, Not Panic 

When your child shows you what has happened, resist the immediate urge to demand, ‘Who did this?’ or declare, ‘I am calling the school right now.’ Instead, pause. Sit beside them and say something reassuring: 

• ‘I can see that this has really hurt you. I am glad you told me.’ 

• ‘You are not alone in this. We will handle it together.’ 

This first moment is the most important. Your calm response tells them they are safe, whereas anger or overreaction can make them feel even more exposed or ashamed. 

Acknowledge the Pain Without Minimising It 

Never dismiss their feelings with comments like, ‘Just ignore it,’ or, ‘It is only online.’ For children, digital interactions are a very real part of their social lives. Validate what they are feeling by saying, ‘It is completely normal to feel embarrassed or upset. What they did was unkind.’ Your validation helps to repair their sense of dignity. Only when their emotions have been recognised can you begin to solve the problem together. 

Gather Facts Before Acting 

Help your child to save the evidence, including screenshots, timestamps, and names. This is not for the purpose of revenge, but to protect the truth of what happened. Ask them to explain the situation calmly, including who was involved and how it started. Avoid interrogating them; let them lead the conversation. This collaborative approach helps to restore their sense of agency. 

Rebuild Their Emotional Safety 

Online mockery can leave a child doubting their self-worth. It is important to reconnect them to their real-life sources of belonging, such as family dinners, community activities, and prayer. Remind them, ‘A few people’s words in a chat do not define who you are.’ Your goal is to widen their world beyond that screen and reaffirm that their identity is not determined by a group chat. 

Teach Digital Boundaries and Assertive Replies 

Discuss and practise some calm, assertive phrases they can use if a similar situation arises in the future. Simple statements can stop an escalation: 

• ‘I am not going to be part of this conversation.’ 

• ‘That is not funny.’ 

• ‘Please remove that message; it is unkind.’ 

Coach your child to exit a chat without shame if the group continues to mock someone. Leaving is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of moral strength. 

Engage School or Community Support if Needed 

If the mocking is persistent, you should involve the school, not to seek punishment, but to ensure your child is protected. Schools increasingly treat online behaviour as part of their pastoral responsibility. Provide the evidence, remain factual, and ask for a follow-up. 

Reframe the Experience for Resilience 

Once emotions have settled, help your child find meaning in what they have experienced. Ask questions that encourage reflection: 

• ‘What did you learn from this about how people can use words?’ 

• ‘What kind of friend do you want to be if you see this happen to someone else?’ 

Turning pain into perspective helps to build resilience and empathy, which are far more lasting than revenge or avoidance. Your child’s self-worth will heal much faster from this digital wound if they see that respect, empathy, and faith still define their world, even when others choose cruelty. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that the honour given to a person by Allah Almighty cannot be taken away by the words of others. When your child faces mockery, especially in a public or online forum, it is an opportunity to anchor them in a dignity that comes from faith, not from the shifting opinions of their peers. 

Protection of Honour in the Quran 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 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 verse powerfully condemns the very behaviour seen in online mockery: exposing others, gossiping, or sharing private matters for ridicule. It reminds your child that those who engage in such behaviour are harming their own souls more than they are harming their target. Teaching them this provides a valuable perspective: their worth comes from Allah, not from public opinion. 

The Prophetic Guidance on Guarding Dignity 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2627, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand the people are safe, and the believer is the one whom the people trust with their lives and their wealth.’ 

This hadith defines true faith as a form of restraint, one that ensures others feel safe from your words and actions. This is the perfect principle to teach children as they navigate digital spaces. When your child understands this, they will begin to measure their own worth not by followers or messages, but by their integrity. 

When classmates mock your child in a WhatsApp group, the temptation is to try to erase the humiliation. However, your deeper mission is to rebuild their sense of self, rooted in respect and resilience. By pairing calm parenting with prophetic wisdom, you teach them that cruelty says more about the mocker than it does about the one being mocked.