What are examples of public humiliation?

Asked by: Prof. Seth Veum MD  |  Last update: February 18, 2026
Score: 4.1/5 (30 votes)

Public humiliation examples range from historical punishments like pillorying and public branding to modern workplace bullying, online shaming (doxxing, cyberbullying), and social exclusion, all involving public exposure intended to degrade someone for perceived wrongdoing, from minor mistakes to serious offenses. Key examples include harsh public criticism, being forced into demeaning tasks (like dogs barking in Nazi Germany), online mobs shaming individuals (like dentist Walter Palmer), and social isolation.

What is an example of public humiliation?

Physical forms include being forced to wear some sign such as "donkey ears" (simulated in paper, as a sign one is—or at least behaved—proverbially stupid), wearing a dunce cap, having to stand, kneel or bend over in a corner, or repeatedly write something on a blackboard ("I will not spread rumors", for example).

What are examples of humiliation?

Humiliation examples involve actions that degrade, shame, or strip someone of dignity, like public ridicule (dunce caps, tarring and feathering), social exclusion, relentless bullying, gaslighting, or being forced to perform degrading acts, often stemming from a power imbalance where an individual's status or self-worth is undermined, leading to intense shame, anger, or a desire for revenge. 

Why would someone humiliate you in public?

People who try to make you weaker are suffering from inner pressure, dissatisfaction, anxiety, and frustration. They may feel better about themselves by humiliating you, but it is only temporary relief. They will eventually return to their negative thinking and look for another victim who can make them feel taller.

Is public humiliation illegal?

Public humiliation itself isn't always a crime, but the actions causing it—like defamation, harassment, or specific forms of cyberbullying—can be illegal, leading to civil lawsuits or criminal charges, especially if they involve false statements, threats, or severe distress, with some jurisdictions having specific laws against humiliating filming or online abuse. While judges sometimes impose shaming punishments (like public registries or ad requirements for offenders), these are legally complex and must avoid being "cruel and unusual". 

A BRIEF HISTORY OF PUBLIC SHAMING (excerpt from 15 Minutes of Shame)

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What to do if someone publicly humiliates you?

Document everything: Take screenshots of all humiliating posts, comments, messages, images, and other evidence. Keep a diary of important dates, times, and witnesses. Report harassment to platforms: File formal complaints with any social media sites, forums, or websites where your harasser is posting abusive content.

What's the difference between embarrassing and humiliating?

Embarrassment is brief. It's personal discomfort occurring when your social mask slips - like tripping or misspeaking. Humiliation goes deeper, attacking your dignity or self-image, often publicly, and leaving a lasting wound.

How to respond to a person who always tries to humiliate you?

Strategies for Dealing with Humiliation

  1. Be Cool-Headed: When you're humiliated, try to remain calm. ...
  2. Listen, Think, and Respond: Instead of immediately reacting, listen to what is being said. ...
  3. Know When to Leave: ...
  4. Don't Take It Personally: ...
  5. Keep Supportive Friends Close:

Why do I enjoy being humiliated?

Part is that it's a release on tension - we all live in fear of being shamed and rejected, so optioning to face that fear in a controlled environment can really help us relieve tension. The relief of experiencing your fear but surviving it can heighten senses again causing pleasure to be more pleasurable.

What are the symptoms of public humiliation?

Public humiliation appears to have a substantial impact on victims' mental health (including symptoms of emotional distress, anxiety, depres- sion; increased stress; posttraumatic stress disorder; suicidal ideation/attempt; Stockholm syndrome, burnout, and being traumatised).

What is an example of humiliate?

To humiliate means to make someone feel deeply ashamed, foolish, or stupid, often by hurting their pride publicly or degrading them, such as a teacher publicly pointing out every mistake on a student's test to embarrass them. Examples include someone's private video being leaked to shame them, or a sports team suffering a massive, embarrassing defeat. 

Can public humiliation cause PTSD?

Herman (2009) lists the actions that perpetrators use to humiliate a victim and suggests that the consequences of such actions can include PTSD or complex PTSD (p. xiv). Where resistance as a way of staving off humiliation is successful, the struggle to resist may in itself be traumatic.

What are shaming punishments?

Shaming penalties typically involve requiring the offender to wear some kind of badge of shame identifying her or his offense, like the scarlet letter “A” the fictional character Hester Prynne is required to wear as pun- ishment for adultery in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter; and/or keeping the offender ...

What does it mean to publicly humiliate someone?

Public humiliation, also known as shaming, is a practice that involves publicly exposing an individual's crime or social infraction with the intention of degrading or humiliating them before a crowd, either in person or through digital platforms.

What are forms of humiliation?

Types of humiliation range from public shaming (verbal, physical acts like dunce caps) and social exclusion (ignoring, ostracizing) to psychological abuse (gaslighting, constant criticism), degradation (dehumanizing treatment, forced subservience), and institutional humiliation (unequal treatment), often involving acts that lower self-worth, dignity, or status through deliberate actions or neglect, notes Dostupný advokát, Wikipedia, The Hindu, and Emotional Competency. 

What are examples of shaming people?

You're a terrible person. You're not worthy of love. You deserve this bad thing that's happened. You're making a fool of yourself.

What does God say about humiliation?

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Not only shall the Lord protect your name and your assigned seat—HE SHALL NOT LET YOU BE HUMILIATED.

What are the psychological causes of horniness?

Other associated factors include psychological components (which affect mood and motivation as well as psychomotor and cognitive functions), spiritual control, mood disorders, sexual trauma, and sexual anorexia as causes or types of sex addiction. Multiple studies link hypersexuality and ADHD.

What to do after being humiliated?

Sternberg's 10 Tips for Dealing With Humiliation

  1. Realize that you are not alone. ...
  2. You have to be resilient, not just smart. ...
  3. Most of the time, it's nothing personal. ...
  4. Learn from the experience.
  5. Seek out a support network to help you move on.
  6. Use any downtime you have to do something you really enjoy.

When someone throws shade at you?

The expressions "throw shade", "throwing shade", or simply "shade", are slang terms for a certain type of insult, often nonverbal. Journalist Anna Holmes called shade "the art of the sidelong insult".

What are the 4 responses to shame?

Nathanson observed that when the shame response is trig- gered, humans respond with “attack other,” “attack self,” “avoid- ance” or “withdrawal.”

What type of person belittles someone?

Perfectionists, people-pleasers and those who are particularly self-critical are more susceptible to falling into the trap of taking belittling remarks to heart.

How to respond to someone who humiliates you in public?

Get out of the situation.

Get some distance, and then, if you're so inclined, revisit it with the other person. You can say something like, "I'm really not ready to discuss this with you right now," or "I'm sorry you feel that way," or nothing at all. Just leave as quickly as you can.

What is the root cause of humiliation?

People can readily be humiliated through more passive means such as being ignored or overlooked, taken for granted, or denied a right or privilege. They can also be humiliated by being rejected, abandoned, abused, betrayed, or used as a means-to-an-end.

What is the root emotion of shame?

The root of shame lies in a deep-seated belief that "there's something wrong with me," stemming from early childhood experiences like critical parenting, abuse, or neglect, and amplified by cultural messages or trauma, making individuals feel fundamentally flawed, unworthy, and disconnected from their group or self, rather than just regretting a specific action (guilt). It's an evolutionary mechanism for social cohesion but becomes toxic when internalized, creating cycles of self-attack, perfectionism, or withdrawal to hide feelings of inadequacy.