Offensive terms?

[Scarlett]

When I was at school the word "spastic" was frequently bandied about and used as an insult. Now that the word is no longer used to describe disabled people formally, is it still seen as offensive?

[luckystrike]

I know this doesn't directly answer your question Scarlett, but if somebody was to call me a spastic, I would certainly be offended.

[littlemissx]

yes it is still offensive!!!!!!!!!

[Greggo']

Yes it is. The 'Spastic Society' (a charity set up to help the mentally handicapped) was renamed 'SCOPE' for this very reason. Aviod the term if possible.

[shaneystar]

It is actually a medical term. A person affected with spastic paralysis. But has come to be used as a slang word for a clumsy , inept or disabled person.Not a nice word to call anyone .
Strange how we convolute the english language.

[Octavius]

The term spastic is an adjective meaning "suffering from spasticity", which is a type of cerebral palsy where the sufferer has spasms. It is derived from the Ancient Greek verb root spas- = "pull".

A sufferer from spasticity, the usage has become offensive to many as a term of abuse, e.g. you're such a spastic (also colloquially abbreviated to "spazz", "spack", "spacko", "spanner" and "spacker"), derived from a popular misconception that those suffering from any physical disability resulting in spasticity would necessarily also suffer from mental incapacity. When a "spacker" has a fit, it is often referred to as a "spack attack."

In the mid-1980s, some sufferers of Cerebral Palsy attempted to "reclaim" the term. This is the meaning in the Ian Dury and the Blockheads song: "Spasticus Autisticus", and it is also used in the Ben Elton book Gridlock.

The Spastics Society, a UK charity for sufferers of cerebral palsy, is now named SCOPE, leading to the colloquial use of the expression Scoper or Scopers to be used in place of the abuseive term.

Whilst the term was bounded about at my schooI as well Scarlett, I believe even at that time it was very offensive.

Also, previously in medicine and psychology the term 'idiot' was used for someone with severe mental retardation (or IQ below 20). Today we use that term colloquially for a person of normal intelligence or even above average intelligence who acts unintelligently. The word though derives from, yes you got it, Greek for "private individual". In ancient Athens, an idiot was a person who declined to take part in public life, such as democratic city government.

[boobesque]

i have a son with cerebral palsy and his medical notes say 'Spastic Quadraplegic' so as far as we are concerned its not offensive, but it can offensive when used as deregetory manner which it often is still.

[mimififi]

It is highly offensive. I remember it came on to the playground when I was school (I don't know if earlier aswell?) after a man called Joseph Deacon appeared on Blue Peter. The article with him is very inspiring and interesting, but sadly, kids even then did not see this side to it. It is a term that has been abreviated much like Oct says, but also includes the derogatory "Joey deacan" and an unacceptable face contortion following directly on from this article on BP.

A kid in the street used this term at one of my children and it was all I could do to NOT wash his mouth out with soap and water. Instead, I told him off and informed him that I would not tolerate that kind of remark, and he should watch him self as I knew his mother!!!! Problem was, like most offensive terms being used by children, the child did not really know what it actually meant. I explained to my kids and they were shocked.

It is most certainly still offensive.

Boobesque: I think you are an amazing mum. An inspiration to us all. Thank you.

[boobesque]

thanks mimi, i am never sure how to react when people say that, at the end of the day i am just a mum!

We rarely use the term to be honest, we just call it cerebral palsy unless we are at the hospital!