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1 results

  • Introduction

  • Tahmineh Tayebi, Aston University, Vahid Parvaresh, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge
  • Book:
    Words that Wound
    Published online:
    24 April 2026
    Print publication:
    14 May 2026, pp 1-7
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  • Summary

    This introduction explores the growing presence of offensive language on social media platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, where anonymity often encourages more aggressive behaviour. It discusses the difficulty in distinguishing between what is ‘merely offensive’ and what crosses into illegal or grossly offensive territory, highlighting how this is a complex issue spanning multiple disciplines. The chapter highlights the importance of linguistic insights in understanding offensive language, especially given the limitations of automatic detection systems and the inherently subjective nature of offence. It also provides an overview of the chapters that follow.