Logo image
Appearance-related cyberbullying and its association with the desire to alter physical appearance among adolescent females
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Appearance-related cyberbullying and its association with the desire to alter physical appearance among adolescent females

Taliah Prince, Kate E Mulgrew, Christina Driver, Lia Mills, Jehan Loza and Daniel F Hermens
Journal of Eating Cisorders, Vol.12, pp.1-16
2024
Appears in  Thompson Institute Research Collection
pdf
s40337-024-01083-z1.03 MBDownloadView
Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0 Open Access

Abstract

appearance-related cyberbullying victimisation adolescents body image eating disorder Thompson Institute Special Collection Longitudinal Adolescent Brain Study Youth mental health UniSC Diversity Area - Disability and Inclusion UniSC Diversity Area - Life Stages
Cyberbullying is associated with various mental health concerns in adolescents, including body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. However, there is a significant research gap concerning the unique effects of appearance-related cyberbullying (ARC) on adolescent mental health. This study examined the prevalence and psychological consequences of ARC among middle to late adolescent females (aged 14-19 years, Mage = 15.98, N = 336). Participants completed an online survey regarding their experiences of ARC, body image variables, and eating disorder symptomology. Findings indicate the widespread occurrence of ARC among adolescent females, with body shape and size emerging as predominant targets. Experiences of ARC-victimisation positively correlated with increased concerns about body shape, body shame, and eating disorder symptomology. Conversely, experiences of ARC-victimisation were negatively correlated with body esteem and body appreciation. Finally, appearance-related cybervictimisation was significantly associated with adolescent females' desire to pursue appearance alterations through methods such as dieting and exercising, altering self-presentation, and undergoing cosmetic procedures due to perceived experiences of ARC. These findings highlight the urgent need for preventative measures, such as age-appropriate social media policies and health promotion programs that encourage positive online behaviour, and strategies to address the impacts of ARC to protect the mental well-being of adolescent females.Cyberbullying is associated with various mental health concerns in adolescents, including body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviours. However, there is a significant research gap concerning the unique effects of appearance-related cyberbullying (ARC) on adolescent mental health. This study examined the prevalence and psychological consequences of ARC among middle to late adolescent females (aged 14-19 years, Mage = 15.98, N = 336). Participants completed an online survey regarding their experiences of ARC, body image variables, and eating disorder symptomology. Findings indicate the widespread occurrence of ARC among adolescent females, with body shape and size emerging as predominant targets. Experiences of ARC-victimisation positively correlated with increased concerns about body shape, body shame, and eating disorder symptomology. Conversely, experiences of ARC-victimisation were negatively correlated with body esteem and body appreciation. Finally, appearance-related cybervictimisation was significantly associated with adolescent females' desire to pursue appearance alterations through methods such as dieting and exercising, altering self-presentation, and undergoing cosmetic procedures due to perceived experiences of ARC. These findings highlight the urgent need for preventative measures, such as age-appropriate social media policies and health promotion programs that encourage positive online behaviour, and strategies to address the impacts of ARC to protect the mental well-being of adolescent females.

Details

Metrics

7 File views/ downloads
68 Record Views

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Web Of Science research areas
Nutrition & Dietetics
Psychiatry
Psychology, Clinical

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#3 Good Health and Well-Being

Source: InCites

Logo image