Giddens, LauriePetter, Stacie2020-01-042020-01-042020-01-07978-0-9981331-3-3http://hdl.handle.net/10125/64466Social media offers a forum for individuals to share experiences after being wronged by an individual, an organization, a group, or a government. While some individuals gain support through sharing experiences on social media, other victims become the subject of attacks or receive little to no response from others regarding their injustice. An individual’s response to a victim’s social media post may be explained by the just world hypothesis. In this article, we explain the just world hypothesis and how this theory applies to when individuals respond to victims on social media. The just world hypothesis offers a means to understand factors that encourage negative social media behaviors. In this conceptual article, we explain how future research may leverage the just world hypothesis as a theoretical lens to examine why individuals engage in victim blaming, victim apathy, or victim support using social media.10 pagesengAttribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 InternationalSocial Impact Organizing and Collaboratingjust world hypothesisonline shamingsocial mediavictim blamingConference Paper10.24251/HICSS.2020.724