"It takes the same breath to speak words of encouragement as it does to speak words of criticism"

Abusive Language can be referred to the use of improper and the wrong use of words which can be hurtful and insulting to the receiver of the message. Calling people names such as (deadbeat, crook or quack) can get you into trouble.

Defamation is the legal term for any false statement that harms an individual's reputation. If an individual feels like their reputation has been affected, they can take legal action and sue the company or the individual who made the remarks. (Gruffey 2016)

There are man ways in which abusive messages can be sent.

1. Emails/Memos
2. Letters
3. Phone Calls

Because abusive language has become very concerning amongst the many different ways of communication, companies have set strict rules and regulations based on the usage of the internet along with monitoring all emails that are being sent. By doing this companies can reduce the risk of facing legal liability for any messages that may be sent.

However for legal action to take place, abusive language must have all three of the following characteristics:

1. The statement that was written or spoken was false
2. The statement was damaging the individuals reputation or name (hence putting them in a negative light)
3. The statement was published - it was written or said in front the presence of other people.

Example of Defamation:

A newspaper knowingly prints an article falsely asserting that a public figure has cheated on business partners in the past.  While the law protects media outlets from liability for printing statements about public figures, this does not apply to knowing publication of false material or publication with reckless disregard for the truth.

A person falsely tells a prospective buyer of the home of a neighbor that the neighbor cheated him in the past, causing the buyer to back out of the sale.  Although this is not defamation per se, the neighbor can prove economic damages by showing that the statement prevented the sale of his house.

During a casual conversation with a reporter, a police official states that a suspect in a current investigation is guilty.  While there are privileges that protect government officials from defamation liability for official statements and documents, this does not apply to casual or unapproved statements. (Gill, K.)

References

Gill, K. (n.d.). Three cause of legal problems in bad news messages. 

http://legalproblemsnewsmsgs.blogspot.ca/2012/03/careless-language.html