Towards a framework for assessing written threat texts for forensic linguistic purposes

Abstract

This research project titled "Towards a framework for assessing written threat texts for forensic linguistic purposes" aims to answer the following research question: "How can the linguist conduct an objective and systematic linguistic analysis of threat texts to inform the legitimacy of threatening texts for forensic purposes?" This question is answered, based on a thorough literature review and stylistic analysis (using ATLAS.ti, 2019 computer software) focused on linguistic choices made by the authors of a range of thirty authentic threat texts. The research that informed this framework was based in linguistic theory of language in use, recognising that "threat" manifests on various linguistic planes. This research takes the definition of "threat" as an intentionally directed criminal act through means of communication, making it relational and socially conditioned. Such an act declares harmful intentions, either directly or indirectly, toward a recipient, instilling fear of undesirable consequences that will likely result from a lack of compliance to the demand presented (Collins Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus, 2003:659; Solan & Tiersma, 2005:223-225; Fitzgerald, 2005:2; Yus, 2013; Watt, Kelly & Llamas, 2013:99). Furthermore, categorises threat texts according to salient linguistic features. As a result of this research, a framework is proposed for assessing written threat texts to aid forensic linguistic investigations by establishing the level of legitimacy of the threat. The framework incorporates four main categories: idiolectal features often found in threat texts; social contextual features that affect meaning in communication; linguistic elements of threat; and pragmatic features of threats as speech acts. This framework is applied to the sample, illustrating how the level of threat may be scaled, based on the ration of salient features per category in the framework. Two sets of results are tabulated: one showing the absolute frequency of the features characteristic to threats and the second showing the relative frequency of the characteristic in the text in question in relation to the number of words found in total in the text. These results show that even shorter texts may display a high level of legitimacy as the relative frequency of characteristic features is higher than that calculated for some of the longer texts. These results also suggest that one word or phrase may fulfil more than one linguistic purpose in the text. This too may increase the level or degree of threat communicated by a certain text. Therefore, this research project suggests that the linguist can conduct a more objective, systematic analysis relating to the level of legitimacy within a text for forensic purposes by applying the proposed framework. Following the application of the suggested framework to identify, classify and describe salient linguistic elements of threat, one can rank the level of threat, expressed linguistically to inform and support police investigation of such crimes. Limitations of this study include the sample size of the texts analysed. Also, though the texts were authentic examples of threats, none of them were sourced from the South African context as a repository was not readily available to draw on for the purpose of this study. Further research is therefore warranted to explore linguistic characteristics of threats in this multilingual context, and in others. This study contributes to the limited, but growing, body of linguistic literature on threat and threat assessment. The proposed framework may serve as a starting point for further research in this context. It may also inform current linguistic practice in threat assessment.