Is poking fun ethically acceptable?

I ask myself on a regular basis "what is wrong with society today?" Every time I ask myself this question I always come to the same conclusion... the way people speak to one another and their negative actions toward one another.

This past weekend I was sitting in a room with a group of young men, when someone would walk in the room the individual would be greeted by heckles. Collectively the group of men would gang up on one another calling each other several rude names and would continue this behaviour until there was an outburst. It seemed as though they were playing a game, challenging each others temperament levels by pushing past the line of acceptable and unacceptable behaviour with each condescending comment.

I argue, that this type of behaviour is ethically unacceptable. These gentlemen knowingly harass one another to the point of emotional instability. How is this enjoyable? And how is this behaviour affecting each of those men participating in the harassment?
 
These men compromise the feelings of others to boost their own egos and confidence and on a number of occasions I have seen this type of behaviour transferred from the 'boys trash talk environment' to that of intimate relationships.

This type of behaviour is frightening because it can escalate to the point of an individual suffering permanent emotional instability or to the point of someone being physically injured. There are so many risk factors that play into harassment. An individuals daily experiences and interactions with others make up their emotional composition. So, if one were to see the same people and have a very similar experience with these people from day to day, these experiences will assist in the shaping of how this individual feels about them self.  

The amount of rude and disrespectful language young people (in particular) use to address one another today is truly astounding. What most people do not realize is that this action is actually labelled as emotional abuse.

I argue, EVERYONE (men, women, teens, children) need to step up and start treating one another with the respect that we all deserve.  In my experiences with verbal/emotional abuse I have realized that my emotions, physical well being, and how I feel about myself are all a reflection of how I am being treated. When having to endure this unnecessary criticism frequently, an individuals morale will plummet.