The Use of Threats in Children's Discourse

Bibliographic Data

ID10255705
AuthorsPamela J Benoit (Bowling Green State University, corresponding author)
Year1983
Volume26
Issue4
Pages305-329
Publication date1983-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage and Speech (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0023-8309 • E-ISSN: 1756-6053
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/002383098302600401
PMID6677827
OpenAlexW2130458791
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited10

This study investigates the nature of threats and their responses as collaborative units in children's discourse. Coding of conversations between preschool children yields frequency data that suggest that assertions provoke threats while offensive threats are produced more than defensive threats. Analyses of types of threats indicate a preference for expressing harm to the interactional partner or intending to withhold an object or action from the partner. The partner most frequently responds to the threat with a rejection thereby countering the speaker's attempt to control. The sex of the interactant does not influence the frequency of threats, but it does affect the type of threat as female children show a clear preference for withhold-object or action and harm-threats while male children focus exclusively on harm-threats. Younger children produce more threats than older children and threats occur more frequently in child-directed settings compared to adult-directed settings

Action (physics · Affect (linguistics · Developmental psychology · Harm · Linguistics · Object (grammar · Offensive · Preference · Communication · Digital Communication and Language · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Psychology · Social Psychology

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