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Swedish adolescents’ experiences of cybervictimization and body‐related concerns
Author(s) -
Frisén Ann,
Berne Sofia
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/sjop.12561
Subject(s) - psychology , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , suicide prevention , injury prevention , developmental psychology , occupational safety and health , medical emergency , medicine , pathology
The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between cybervictimization and three body‐related concerns: body‐esteem, self‐objectification, and internalization of body ideals. The aim was also to examine these relationships not only to cybervictimization in general but also to appearance‐related cybervictimization more specifically. The sample comprised 482 adolescents (233 girls and 247 boys aged 13–15; two participants did not answer the question about gender) from four Swedish schools. The results showed that victims of appearance‐related cyberbullying suffered from more body‐related concerns: they had a poorer view of their general appearance and of their weight. They also reported more body shame, thin‐ideal internalization, and appearance‐related pressure from the media. This study shows that cyberbullying that focuses on the victim's appearance is associated with several body‐related concerns that have not previously been studied. A novel finding was also that body‐related concerns were not related to cyberbullying in general, as has been implied in earlier research, but specifically related to cyberbullying directed at the victim's appearance. The findings suggest that there is a need to include attention to the specific relationships between appearance‐related cyberbullying and body‐related concerns in future prevention and intervention work.