Vietnamese Youth’s Perception on Slut-Shaming on Social Media

“Slut-shaming” is common in Asian societies like Vietnam. The study aims to learn more about how people make judgments based on what they see on Facebook. We create a so-call “slut-shaming” interaction on Facebook, in which one woman calls another woman a “slut.” The interaction included a photograph of the target, in which she was dressed either “provocatively” or “conservatively.” Her visible Facebook profile information suggested she was part of either a lower or higher socioeconomic class. A total of 210 female students participated in a survey. The results were analyzed through three 2 × 2 MANOVAs to examine how the use of that term affects perceptions of both the “slut” and the “shamer” as well as how clothing choice and social class of the targets affect these judgments. The results show that participants generally had negative perceptions about the “shamer,” but social class and clothing influenced how women perceived both the “slut” and the “shamer.” This research provides a different angle on slut-shaming in social media and certain pivotal recommendations in order to prevent and avoid slut-shaming. Schools have a key role to play in addressing girls’ subordination in online activities.