New bullying term on the rise with young people: What is a bop?

A phrase that is becoming increasingly popular among young people has left parents scratching their heads as to what it all means.The slang term ‘bop’ — or ‘la la bop’ — has risen to prominence in the last year, with the expression commonly being used to shame young women by labelling them as promiscuous due to having multiple sexual partners.Dr.Catherine Page Jeffrey, from the University of Sydney’s department of media and communications, told news.com.au the phrase can be traced back to the early 2000s to describe a sex act.“It’s clear that this is a derogatory term that is being used on social media to slut shame people,” she said.“My understanding is that it’s calling out people’s body counts, so how many people they may have slept with or if they are presenting themselves in a sexy way.“From what I’ve read, it is equally applicable to men and women but, as we might expect, it is primarily girls that are being subjected to this form of bullying.”She explained this is because of the “sad history” of sexism and misogyny, saying it’s proving quite hard to dismantle the idea that women as sexual beings is shameful.Dr.
Jeffrey said the way it is being used and the context should prompt concern for parents, as it is a form of bullying.However, some women are trying to reclaim the word.Adult content creators Sophie Rain, 20, and Aishah Sofey, 22, established the “Bop House” in late 2024.
It features eight influencers between the ages of 19 and 24, who collectively boast around 33 million followers on social media.The women create social media content together for the mutual benefit of increasing their fanbase, separate from their subscription platforms.Ari Kytsya, who also makes content for an adult subscription service, often starts her videos explaining she is a “bop and mattress actress”.Recently, she posted a video with the caption: “Y’all thought I was a bop before … you haven’t seen anything yet.”Dr.
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