If you have an established emotional connection, it still may cause trauma.
Anyone who would bully people is someone to distance yourself from.
I would never engage or argue with them, as they seem to thrive on that.
It has come to a point in society that if you are merely offended, it's considered abuse.
You can scroll past or ignore differences of opinion.
I do not, however, believe you should target people you know who would be offended, just to be an ass, with anything sensitive to them; that is called manners.
And it is bullying, because you are directly targeting them merely to upset them.
If you didn't know beforehand that something may be offensive to them, then it's not really reasonable for people to go off on you for a post or reply.
When replying, my own personal way is to refrain from sexual jokes, crudeness, political commentary (if the question is not about politics), any comments on people's religion, or family structure.
Again, just good manners.
If you know the person and neither of you would be offended by the above list, then I suppose that is between you and them...post away.
My own personal opinion is to use some thought when replying or messaging.
If a person says something offends them, no matter how dumb someone else feels it is, respect it, and if they cannot respect it, then they can distance themselves.
It's the internet; nobody has to engage with everyone.
