A threat in a text is assessed with regard to the recipient, form of the statement, conditions, incitement, proposed action, context and connection with previous communication.
What you can do
- collect the disputed text and its context;
- formulate appropriate questions for a specialist;
- assess whether a combined examination is needed;
- prepare a specialist opinion or an expert report review.
Linguistic features and legal classification
A linguist can examine which actions are indicated, to whom they are directed, the form in which they are expressed and how they relate to surrounding remarks. However, the presence of linguistic signs of a threat does not itself establish all legally significant circumstances or replace the decision of an authorised body.
Why a single word cannot be examined in isolation
A quotation, conditional construction, warning of an objective danger and promise of adverse action may contain similar vocabulary. Differences are identified from the complete statement, its intended recipient and communicative situation, rather than by mechanically searching for dangerous expressions.
- Preserve preceding and following messages.
- Do not edit the form of expression before submitting it to the specialist.
- Identify the text's source and the boundaries of the correspondence supplied.
- State separately which linguistic issue needs to be established.
If a message involves an immediate danger to a person, waiting for an expert examination must not delay seeking the necessary protection. Expert analysis of the text serves a separate evidential purpose.
On this subject: Correspondence for a linguist: how to preserve the context of a message.