From an article in the Daily Telegraph (UK):
The use of insults at a young age improves social skills and helps children develop a sense of humour, it was claimed.
Dr Erin Heerey, a psychologist at Bangor University, North Wales, also said “play fighting” gives pupils the chance to tell the difference between real and pretend violence. The comments came as children across the UK returned to school following the Christmas holidays.
However, adolescent insults do not work well in most policy debates.
