It is important that a book on adolescence should contain a chapter on slang and swearing because these are two features of adolescent linguistic behavior that attract more attention than they perhaps warrant, symbolizing as they do, the freedom that young people have at this stage of their lives to challenge linguistic norms, and at the same time to test interpersonal bonds and institutional constraints with their parents as they seek to establish new identities and relationships within their changing worlds. This chapter will start by providing a brief background description of the linguistic characteristics of slang and swearing before moving to a more focused discussion of why (although such language is also commonly used by many adult groups who find themselves living in close proximity in institutionalized contexts such as prisons or military camps), it may be particularly typical of adolescent speech. Subsequent sections of the chapter explore how the use of slang and expletives by young people can be viewed as a means of building cultural capital within their networks, while at the same time establishing boundaries between new adolescent in-groups ('us') and parents and nonmembers ('them'). A section on the use of pejorative terms further develops this theme of 'us' and 'them.' In addition, I also consider gender-based patterns of the ways young people use slang and expletives, and the subtle coercive effect such words have in regulating typical patterns of in-group behavior. Finally some suggestions are made regarding research questions that still require attention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)