There can only be as much evidence as for something being hurtful. You cannot read minds, but I don't think it far fetched that sometimes it seems to be more about validation and getting your way instead of being genuinely affected.

Never experienced that yourself? Babies do so very commonly when they cry. My understanding is that adults get out of it to a degree.

I guess the vast majority of people do so with honest intend and some don't. If it is about definitions and wording on hot button issues, I think the latter group to be disproportionally large.