Physical wounds can heal, but verbal wounds scar the soul and can last a lifetime. Abusive language is very likely to lead to aggressive and abusive behavior. Aggression naturally escalates, and it is likely that most abusive language that will cause physical action, either on the part of the victim or the aggressor. Many people justify verbal aggression because they claim that it is a substitute for physical aggression. The natural escalating tendency of verbal aggression forces emotions to become greater until the built-up hurt from verbal harassment vents itself in a physical attack.
Verbal aggression occurs for many other reasons.
For instance, psychopathological reasons, where a person attacks others who remind him or her of an unresolved source of hurt, are common. Secondly, a person may be directly or indirectly rewarded for using verbal aggression. Most frequently, a person may not be able to effectively defend their position or attack their opponents position, therefore resorting to attacking their opponent personally. People are constantly called upon to give their opinions in a democratic society, and if they don't have a good reason for what they believe, their opinions may be contested. For lack of a better defense, people resort to name-calling, swearing, or whatever means necessary to convince themselves that they are right.