How do they respond if friends tease a stammer, tic, or device? 

Parenting Perspective 

Hearing their friends tease someone for a stammer, a tic, or for the use of a visible support device can leave a child feeling frozen, unsure of whether to speak up or to simply stay silent. They may be afraid of becoming the next target themselves, or they may simply not know what to say. Helping your child to respond to these situations in a way that is both calm and firm can prepare them to protect the dignity of other people without having to create a direct confrontation. 

Teaching the Courage That Comes from Compassion 

You can begin by saying, ‘When someone is being teased for something that they cannot control, that is not a funny situation; it is an unfair one.’ You can explain to them that every single person deserves to feel safe and to be seen, especially when their personal challenges are visible to others. It is important to emphasise that an act of kindness in these moments is more than just a matter of politeness; it is an act of courage that is guided by empathy. 

Coaching Them in Simple and Strong Responses 

You can equip your child with some short and clear phrases that can help them to stop the teasing without having to turn it into a bigger fight. 

• ‘That is not okay. You should leave them alone.’ 

• ‘It is not funny to make a joke about something that a person cannot help.’ 

• ‘Come on, let us talk about something else now.’ 

These phrases can help to redirect the moment and can set a very clear boundary. The goal is not for them to have to argue or to shame the other person, but to simply signal their disapproval in a confident way. 

Helping Them to Build Understanding, Not Pity 

It is important to teach your child to focus on their friendship with the other child, not just on a feeling of sympathy for them. A classmate who stammers or who uses a hearing aid will want to be treated in a normal way, not to be gently avoided by their peers. You can encourage your child to listen with a sense of patience, to wait for their friend to finish their sentences, or to only offer their help in a discreet way if they are asked for it. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam calls on all believers to protect the dignity of every single person, and especially of those who may be facing some form of hardship. The act of mocking another person’s speech, their movement, or their body is a contradiction of the very heart of our akhlaq (good character). Teaching your child to respond to these situations with a sense of gentleness and of justice is in perfect alignment with the Quranic and the prophetic vision of mercy in action. 

The Quranic Condemnation of All Forms of Mockery 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verse 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 clearly forbids any form of teasing or of ridicule. It reminds us all that a person’s true worth is measured not by their appearance or by the way they speak, but by what lies in their heart. When your child is able to step in or to offer a sense of comfort instead of joining in with the laughter, they are honouring this divine instruction. 

The Prophetic Example of Protecting the Vulnerable 

It is recorded in Riyadh Al Saliheen, Hadith 1528, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Whoever defends the honour of his brother, Allah will protect his face from the Fire on the Day of Resurrection.’ 

This hadith teaches us that the act of standing up for other people is a sacred one. When your child is able to refuse to join in with an act of mockery, or is able to gently put a stop to an act of teasing, they are not only helping a classmate; they are also earning for themselves a divine reward. 

Helping your child to respond to a moment of teasing with a sense of calm strength can teach them that their own kindness can be a protective force, as well as a gentle one. They can learn from these experiences that a real friend will not laugh at another person’s differences; they will guard them. 

Your own steady reassurance in these moments can help them to trust their own instincts to do what is right, even when the other children around them may be hesitating. Over time, they will discover for themselves that a sense of empathy is a form of courage, one that does not need to be shouted, but that needs to come from the heart. 

When they are able to say, ‘That is not okay, you should stop,’ or they are able to quietly choose to stand beside the one who is being mocked, they will be practising the very best of an Islamic character: a strength that is guided by a sense of mercy, a sense of loyalty that is shaped by a sense of justice, and a sense of friendship that is able to honour every single soul as a beautiful reflection of the perfect wisdom of Allah.