Slut shaming in early adolescence: Embedding in social world and repercussions on physical and psychological well-being

Adolescents evolve in a wired universe, where new technologies are ubiquitous. However, the Internet is not gender-neutral. Sexist, sexual and homophobic violences tend to reproduce online (Doring, 2000; Pascoe, 2011). Slut shaming is defined as stigmatization process towards a person due to his or her clothing, makeup or sexual behaviors, whether real or supposed. It targets mainly women (Armstrong, Hamilton, Armstrong et Seeley, 2014). The current study estimates, using a paper-pencil questionnaire, the prevalence of slut shaming among adolescents aged under 15 (N=503, 55,9% girls, μ=13,36 years old and σ=0,83). 8,15% report having been a victim of slut shaming, 2,78% a perpetrator. Data are analyzed in conjunction with past experiences of sexual victimization, exposure to domestic violence, issues of status and popularity among peers (Abeele, Van Cleemput et Vandebosch, 2017), parental monitoring (Kerr et Stattin’s Parental Monitoring Scale, 2000) and psychological and physical well-being (Goldberg et Hillier’s General Health Questionnaire, 1979). Our results allow to embed this problematic within adolescents’ social worlds et developmental preoccupations and to estimate its repercussions.