We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culture

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is Incivility?

Mary McMahon
By
Updated: Feb 21, 2024
Views: 8,756
Share

Incivility is behavior that threatens orderly and reasonable public processes; it is sometimes described as rudeness or bad manners, but goes beyond this to cover activities specifically detrimental to social order. Some examples of incivility include vandalism and public drunkenness. Many governments regulate uncivil activities if they are a threat to public health and safety and people convicted may incur fines or jail time, especially for repeat offenses.

The idea that people must maintain reasonable and decent standards of behavior for the benefit of society as a whole is a very old one in many societies. These activities may undermine society, as well as public safety in a variety of ways, from creating public health threats to making public places hostile and difficult for people to navigate. It can be difficult to define and legislate incivility. Gathering in a public place, for instance, is a right many governments guarantee, but at the same time, crowds of people behaving raucously can feel threatening, and may make society less safe, so law enforcement need to be able to take action when crowds turn dangerous.

In regions where laws cover various uncivil behaviors, they are usually found in municipal codes. A few examples may be found in national law or case law; “fighting words,” for example, are an example of incivility based in case law in the United States, where people are not allowed to make statements that may incite violence or crimes against specific groups of people. Other incivility may be a social problem, but not necessarily subject to regulation. School bullying and workplace incivility are two examples of this, where people who disrupt classrooms and workplaces may not be subject to legal punishment, but may have to meet with supervisors and teachers to discuss the situation.

Different jurisdictions have their own boundaries when it comes to incivility. More formal cultures tend to have more extensive laws and visitors sometimes find these laws repressive in nature. For instance, in some countries, women are expected to cover most of their bodies when out in public, and can be fined if they do not. Other nations may have more relaxed laws and permit a wider range of behavior under the law before law enforcement will step in.

People preparing for travel to a foreign country may want to look up incivility laws in the country they will be visiting to learn more about them. It is possible people may have to modify their behaviors to make sure they do not run afoul of the law, and it can also be helpful to know about norms and customs to avoid causing offense.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Mary McMahon
By Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a WiseGeek researcher and writer. Mary has a liberal arts degree from Goddard College and spends her free time reading, cooking, and exploring the great outdoors.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
Mary McMahon
Mary McMahon

Ever since she began contributing to the site several years ago, Mary has embraced the exciting challenge of being a...

Learn more
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-is-incivility.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.