Labeling Effects on Attitudes to Women’s Involvement in Sex Work and Helping Intentions in Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence disproportionately affects marginalized women, including those involved in sex work, who face severe abuse and heightened stigma that limit their opportunity to receive help. The present study examined whether linguistic labeling influences perceptions of and willingness to help these women in cases of intimate partner violence. Participants (N = 174) were randomly assigned to a vignette where the survivor was labeled either as a sex worker or as a prostitute. Results showed that the label sex worker elicited more positive attitudes toward the social category compared to the label prostitute. Although the direct effect on helping intentions was not significant, a significant indirect effect emerged: the “sex worker” label increased intentions to help via more positive attitudes. These findings underscore the importance of language in shaping public attitudes. Implications for policy and societal perceptions are discussed.