One way is to communicate clearly. For example, sit down with the family member who is blackmailing and firmly state your boundaries. Say something like 'I won't tolerate this behavior' in a calm but assertive way.
In a family, a daughter found out that her father had some illegal business dealings in the past. The father blackmailed her into keeping quiet. He threatened to stop paying for her college education and not leave her any inheritance if she ever told anyone. The daughter was in a very difficult situation as she didn't want to be part of her father's wrongdoings but also didn't want to lose her future opportunities.
In a family, the mom might find that her teen has been sneaking out at night. She could blackmail the teen by saying that if they don't start coming home right after school and study for two hours every day, she will change the Wi - Fi password and not give it to them until they improve their behavior. This way, the mom is using the things the teen values (like Wi - Fi access) to make them follow the rules.
One common motive is money. Just like in the story I mentioned before, a family member might see an opportunity to get some financial gain by using a secret against another. For example, if a family member knows about an inheritance that was obtained through some unethical means in the past, they could blackmail the person who received it for a share.
One more positive family story is a family that had a tradition of having a game night every week. It was a time when they all put away their electronic devices and just focused on having fun together. They played board games, told jokes, and shared stories. This simple tradition made their family life full of love and laughter.
In many families, grandparents pass down their family traditions and values through warm and positive interactions. For example, a grandmother teaching her grandchildren how to bake the family - famous cookies, sharing stories of the family's history. These positive exchanges build strong family bonds and have no place for negative concepts like blackmail.
One family blackmail story could be where a relative threatens to expose a family secret if they don't get a large sum of money. For example, an uncle discovers that his nephew was involved in a minor accident years ago and was at fault but it was never reported. The uncle demands money or he'll tell the insurance company. This is a form of blackmail within the family that can cause a great deal of stress and strain on family relationships.
One family blackmail story I heard was about a young man. His uncle threatened to expose his past mistakes in school to his new employer if he didn't give him a large sum of money. The young man was in a tough spot as he had worked hard to get that job. But he didn't want his past to haunt his future career. Eventually, he managed to gather evidence of his uncle's own wrongdoings and was able to stop the blackmail.
Often, they end with the victim standing up for themselves. For example, if the blackmail involves money, the victim might cut off financial support to the blackmailer. This forces the blackmailer to stop as they realize they won't get what they want.