How should my child reply when someone threatens to post an embarrassing clip? 

Parenting Perspective 

Few things can shake a child’s confidence like the threat of public humiliation. When someone says, ‘I will post this video if you do not do this,’ they are not joking; they are using fear as a means of control. Whether the clip is silly, edited, or genuinely embarrassing, the aim is always the same: to corner your child emotionally. These moments require calm strength, wise boundaries, and clear, protective steps. Your role as a parent is to teach your child how to respond safely, truthfully, and firmly, without feeding their fear or giving in to pressure. 

Provide Calm Reassurance First 

If your child tells you about such a threat, they have already shown immense courage. You must respond with calm reassurance: 

‘You did the right thing by telling me.’ 

‘We will handle this together.’ 

Avoid scolding them about how the clip was made, as the fear of being blamed is what keeps many children silent. What they need most is your steady presence and your belief that they are not alone. 

Coach a Dignified and Firm Response 

Coach your child not to argue or plead with the person making the threat. A calm, brief response is always the strongest. They can say: 

‘What you are threatening to do is wrong. I will not discuss this any further.’ 

After sending this message, they should block and report the person immediately. This stops any further communication and demonstrates that they will not engage in fear-based manipulation. Your child must understand that once someone tries to control them through fear, that person has already lost the moral high ground. 

Document the Threat Discreetly 

Before blocking the person, take screenshots of the chat, the threat itself, and the user’s profile. If the person has shared even a part of the clip, record that too. Do not forward or share this evidence; keep everything private and timestamped. This documentation will be crucial for reporting the incident or for any legal escalation if the threat continues. 

Involve the Appropriate Authorities 

If the person making the threat is a classmate, you should contact the school’s safeguarding officer or head of year immediately. Explain that a digital threat involving humiliation has been made and provide the evidence quietly and clearly. 

If the threat includes any form of blackmail or involves content of a sexual nature, you must report it to the local authorities or a national cybercrime helpline. It is vital that children know that help is always available, from their family, their school, and the law. They are never powerless. 

Support Their Emotional Recovery 

Once the situation has been addressed, you must redirect your child’s attention to their emotional recovery. Such threats can leave behind deep anxiety and self-blame. Reassure them: 

‘The person in the wrong is the one making threats, not you.’ 

‘Your dignity and worth come from who you are, not from any video.’ 

Encourage grounding activities such as prayer, spending time outdoors, and connecting with trusted friends. Teach them that shame loses its power when it is faced with truth and faith. 

When someone threatens your child with exposure, their best defence is their own composure. Calm action, truth, and faith will always outlast fear. 

Spiritual Insight 

In Islam, threats, blackmail, and humiliation are considered grave sins because they strip others of their honour, something that Allah Almighty has declared sacred. Protecting a person’s dignity is not only a right; it is a duty. When your child faces such cruelty, remind them that no one can truly shame a believer whose heart is anchored in the protection of Allah. 

The Divine Gift of Honour in the Quran 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Israa (17), Verse 70: 

‘Indeed, We (Allah Almighty) have honoured the descendants of Adam; and fostered them over the land and the sea; and provided sustenance for them with purified nourishment; and We gave them preferential treatment over many of those (species) We have created with special privileges.’ 

This verse affirms that every human being carries a divine honour (karamah). No one has the right to threaten or humiliate another. Reminding your child of this truth helps to restore their perspective, showing them that their worth is bestowed by Allah, not by public opinion or peer pressure. 

The Prophetic Duty to Protect Honour 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 1931, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

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

This teaches us that defending someone’s dignity, or one’s own, with calm courage is a sacred act. When your child stands firm against threats without resorting to cruelty or panic, they are embodying this prophetic principle of protecting their honour with integrity and faith. 

When someone threatens to post an embarrassing clip, it can feel like an act of control. However, through your calm support, your child can learn that power built on fear will always collapse in the face of truth. 

By responding firmly, preserving evidence, and seeking the appropriate help, they reclaim their own agency. When you root their confidence in the Quranic promise of honour, you show them the greatest truth of all: that no threat can touch the one whom Allah has already dignified. 

In faith, dignity is not something that people can take away; it is something that Allah Almighty has already given.