Also to clarify, it was not verbal abuse I was describing. It was overhearing a pax cussing under his breath

probably a bad example without describing the whole event. Better example: FA came up and said someone was talking loudly on their cellphone during boarding and wanted them kicked off.
”oh. Did you ask them to talk quietly or turn off their phone?”
”no.”
”ok let’s try that first and see how that goes”