Okay, full admission, here: I hate pranks. Haaaaaate them. They almost always involve humiliation and embarrassment, they're frequently just mean, and the victim is almost always pressured to accept shitty behavior in the name of humor. Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaate. So take all this with that in mind.
It is either too late or too soon to teach your son the nuances of ethical pranking. Right now, he needs to stop, period. Lessons (possibly with a counselor) in empathy and judgment need to happen before he can even get into things like, "Only prank someone who you know will find that particular prank funny," and "For the love of God, think about potential consequences if you're wrong, which is to say, don't risk your parent getting fired." And more than anything, "if, in getting a laugh at someone else's expense, you hurt that person (physically or emotionally), apologize and never do it again. Do not in any way suggest that it's on them not to be hurt."
Okay, that last one is like 75% of my conflicts with my family, admittedly, but it's still a good principle.
no subject
So take all this with that in mind.
It is either too late or too soon to teach your son the nuances of ethical pranking. Right now, he needs to stop, period. Lessons (possibly with a counselor) in empathy and judgment need to happen before he can even get into things like, "Only prank someone who you know will find that particular prank funny," and "For the love of God, think about potential consequences if you're wrong, which is to say, don't risk your parent getting fired." And more than anything, "if, in getting a laugh at someone else's expense, you hurt that person (physically or emotionally), apologize and never do it again. Do not in any way suggest that it's on them not to be hurt."
Okay, that last one is like 75% of my conflicts with my family, admittedly, but it's still a good principle.