Define Threat
I think we need to define the word threat.
How is exercising anyone’s right as a citizen of the state of South Carolina considered threatening?
There is a difference between saying, “If you don’t do what I want, I am going to hurt you,” and saying, “If this behavior continues, I am going to contact law enforcement.”
One communicates an intention to cause harm.
The other communicates an intention to seek help.
Calling the police is not something I invented as leverage. Reporting conduct, asking law enforcement for assistance, filing a complaint, or seeking protection through the court system are lawful avenues available to people when boundaries or laws are being violated. South Carolina law specifically recognizes the role of law enforcement in responding to harassment and stalking complaints.
That doesn’t mean every police report results in charges. It doesn’t mean every allegation is ultimately proven. And simply calling something threatening doesn’t legally make it a threat.
Context matters.
“If you speak to me again, I’ll hurt you” and “If you continue contacting me, I’ll report it” are fundamentally different statements.
The first threatens an action against you.
The second establishes an action I will take for myself.
I’ve noticed how easily those two things can become linguistically tangled. A boundary gets called a threat. Documentation gets called retaliation. Reporting gets called intimidation. Saying there may be legal consequences gets treated as though the person reporting the conduct is the person creating the problem.
But consequences and threats are not synonyms.
If I say, “Please stop contacting me. If it continues, I will document it and contact law enforcement,” I am not promising to punish anyone. I’m explaining WITH UNINVITED CLARITY what I will do if MY boundary continues to be crossed.
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