What the hell are you doing? A PRISMA systematic review of psychosocial precursors of slut-shaming in adolescents and young adults

Abstract

Slut-shaming is a form of discrimination against those who violate gender stereotypes, independent of that person's gender identity or sexual orientation or sexual behaviour and appearance. Slut-shaming is a sexual stigmatisation perpetrated both by women and men through rumours, criticism and ostracism and it has severe negative effects both on self-identity and interpersonal relations. This review focuses on psychosocial factors associated with vulnerability to slut-shaming exposure and was carried out using the new Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Articles were retrieved from Scopus and Web of Science databases. After having initially considered 585 articles, 19 studies were selected for this research. A qualitative analysis was conducted on selected studies, focusing on psychosocial variables associated with slut-shaming. Gender norms and sexual double standards were identified as meaningful precursor variables of slut-shaming exposure. Moreover, gender differences were highlighted: female adolescents, young women and LGBTQI+ individuals seem more likely to be at risk of slut-shaming exposure and seem to suffer more severe negative consequences. Certain pivotal recommendations have been made in order to prevent and avoid slut-shaming, and these include developing social interventions , fostering gender awareness as a protective factor and making informed decisions within a clinical context.