Files and links (2)
Published VersionCC BY V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
The body image related cyberbullying picture series (BRC-PicS): developed for use in research relating to cyberbullying, body image and eating disorders among female adolescents
Current Psychology, Vol.44, pp.2747-2760
2025
Appears in Thompson Institute Research Collection
Abstract
Body image-related cyberbullying (BRC), which targets an individual’s body weight, shape, and size, poses a serious threat to adolescent mental health, particularly among females. Evidence suggests that adolescent females who act as cyberbystanders of BRC - those witnessing without being directly targeted - may experience heightened body dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating behaviours. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying BRC remain largely unexplored. This study developed a series of BRC scenarios to examine neural responses among adolescent female cyberbystanders to viewing BRC stimuli. A total of 24 scenarios (12 BRC, 12 neutral) were created to replicate social media posts. A sample of 413 females aged 14–19 rated the severity and realism of the BRC stimuli and completed measures of cyberbullying, body image, and eating disorder psychopathology. Results indicated a positive correlation between severity and realism ratings, with younger participants perceiving scenarios as more realistic. ARC-victimisation was associated with greater engagement in ARC-bullying behaviours and heightened body image disturbances. A final subset of six scenarios, reflecting varied severity, realism, and thematic content, was selected to form the Body Image-Related Cyberbullying Picture Series (BRC-PicS). This validated tool enables real-time investigation into BRC’s impact on adolescent female mental health, supporting future neurobiological research and informing interventions for body dissatisfaction and eating disorders among adolescent females.
Details
- Title
- The body image related cyberbullying picture series (BRC-PicS): developed for use in research relating to cyberbullying, body image and eating disorders among female adolescents
- Authors
- Taliah Prince (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteKate E. Mulgrew - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - PsychologyChristina Driver - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteLarisa T. McLoughlin - University of South AustraliaLia Mills - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteAmanda Boyes - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteDaniel F. Hermens - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson Institute
- Publication details
- Current Psychology, Vol.44, pp.2747-2760
- Publisher
- Springer New York LLC
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1007/s12144-025-07316-x
- ISSN
- 1936-4733; 1046-1310
- Copyright note
- This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.
- Organisation Unit
- Centre for Human Factors and Systems Science; Graduate Research School; Thompson Institute; Cancer Research Cluster
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991096146002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
1 File views/ downloads
34 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Psychology, Multidisciplinary
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites