Wikipedia:Offensive speech

Users and readers of Wikipedia are a broad group that regularly participate in discussions about the content of Wikipedia and how it's created. Participants naturally care a great deal about the verifiability and accuracy of content, and so discourse is at times heated and abrasive. Sometimes, users or readers may say something which other users may find offensive.

This essay tries to define what is "offensive", something that has been the repeated focus of discussion. This is an essay and only reflects the views of this user. It does not aim to provide a 'bright line' that defines offensiveness, but rather help clarify that some statements are offensive, and provide some indication as to how they may be identified. This is not a policy or guideline, what is written here has no binding power, and users are free to agree or disagree as they please.

Definitions

In general, speech that offends can be defined as speech that:

• "Causes someone to feel resentful, upset, or annoyed"
• "Causes someone to feel hurt, angry, or upset : rude or insulting"
• "Causes anger or annoyance; insulting"

Identifying offensive speech

Speech may be offensive because of a number of reasons:

• It is a personal attack and insults or degrades another user
• It contains terms with a recent or historical meaning relating to a particular gender, race, sexual orientation, or other characteristic of a user or group of users
• It negatively characterises a user or group of users

In general, users do not actively try to offend other users. Words or phrases used may have completely different meaning depending on a person’s social and cultural background and location. However, a number of signs may indicate speech that could be offensive to other users:

1. It is not what a user would consider saying to an unfamiliar colleague or relative
2. If said by a celebrity such as a movie star or politician, the statement may later be reported in the news as offensive or controversial
3. It uses language marked as “Offensive” or “Vulgar slang” by dictionaries such as the Oxford English Dictionary

Some statements, such as those that relate to disputes about an idea or ideology, may offend some users. When these are on-topic, such statements are protected under the pillar Wikipedia is not censored.

Harms of offensive language

1. Offensive language harms users. Users do not expect to be subjected or exposed to offensive speech when participating in discussions. Such language may cause users to leave that otherwise wouldn’t have.
2. Offensive language distracts from the topic of discussion. It is more difficult for users to reach a consensus if they are feeling resentful, upset, or annoyed at each other.
3. Offensive language does not help solve Wikipedia’s WP:systemic bias. For example, between 8.5-16% of Wikipedia editors are women, and one reason for this may be because of Wikipedia's confrontational atmosphere.
4. Offensive speech is not civil, one of Wikipedia's five pillars, and violates the terms of service of Wikipedia.

Dealing with offensive speech

1. If you are offended, take a step back and try to assume good faith and understand the issue from the speaker’s point of view. Most users mean well and do not wish to offend or insult another user.
2. Most offensive language occurs in the middle of an argument or heated discussion. Consider taking a day off Wikipedia to let the discussion cool off a bit.
3. Leave the user a short note on their user page explaining what you feel was offensive. Often users do not realise that the what it said, which may not be offensive in their immediate environment, may continue to offend users in another part of the world.
4. If the language is grossly offensive, consider using a template such as {{Redacted}} or reverting the edit to remove it from public view.
5. If a user persists, or continues to make personal attacks against you or a group, consider contacting an administrator or listing a dispute at the administrator’s noticeboard

If you have offended another user, consider that they might come from a different background. If the user says they are offended, it is likely this user is genuinely offended by something that was said. The beauty of language is that a thought can be communicated in a thousand and one ways. Why not say the same thing using one of the other thousand ways?

See also

• WP:CIVILITY
• WP:Offensive material