I suspect it depends upon context. Uncle and Aunty are an inherently respectful term, it’s just that kids do also use it ironically, reversing the meaning. The

I suspect it depends upon context. Uncle and Aunty are an inherently respectful term, it’s just that kids do also use it ironically, reversing the meaning. There are other words used like that, eg “mate”, which can be used in a friendly/neutral or menacing way. (As a side note - I notice that Kamala Harris’s Twitter Bio currently includes “Auntie”.)