The Power of Violent Language in Everyday Life 

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58179/SSWR9S102

Keywords:

gender-based violence, violent language, hate speech, cyberstalking, online communication

Abstract

This contribution examines the performative power of violent language in everyday life, linking classical pragmatics (Austin; Goffman) to contemporary hate speech and (cyber)stalking. It integrates official statistics and national/international monitoring with illustrative excerpts from criminal-court judgments to demonstrate the illocutionary and perlocutionary effects on control, subordination and withdrawal from the public sphere. The analysis shows how threats and blackmail operate as discursive instruments of power and discusses implications for screening, safety planning, platform governance and media literacy.

Author Biography

  • Assunta Penna, University of Messina, Italy

    Assunta Penna has a PhD in Social Theory, Digital Innovation and Public Policies and works at the COSPECS Department, University of Messina, Italy.

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Published

2025-10-31

Issue

Vol. 9 No. S1 (2025): Special Issue 1 (October 2025)

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Sociology and Social Work Review

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How to Cite

Penna, A. . (2025). The Power of Violent Language in Everyday Life . Sociology and Social Work Review, 9(S1), 17-29. https://doi.org/10.58179/SSWR9S102