The Effect of body Positive Social Media on Young Women with a History of Emotional Abuse and/or Bullying Victimization

This study examined the effect of body-positive images from social media on mood and body satisfaction in young women who experienced childhood emotional abuse and/or bullying victimization compared to those without such adversities. A sample of 197 females aged 18–35 years was randomly assigned to view either body-positive, thin-ideal or neutral images, and rated their levels of mood and body satisfaction before and after viewing the images. Participants also completed questionnaires of emotional abuse/bullying victimization, body appreciation and self-objectification. Both emotional abuse and bullying victimization were associated with higher levels of negative mood ( r s ≥ 0.190, p s ≤ 0.007), lower levels of positive mood ( r s ≤ − 0.152, p s ≤ 0.033), body satisfaction ( r s ≤ − 0.190, p s ≤ 0.008) and body appreciation ( r s ≤ − 0.269, p s < 0.001), and greater self-objectification ( r s ≥ 0.227, p s = 0.001). Importantly, body-positive images decreased negative mood, increased positive mood and body satisfaction, while thin-ideal images decreased mood and body satisfaction for both emotionally abused and not abused groups ( F s = 10.91–23.07, p s < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.105 – 0.199), and high and low bullied groups ( F s = 9.76–17.24, p s < 0.001, η p 2 = 0.095 – 0.156). Results suggest that body-positive images increase mood and body satisfaction in women with experiences of emotional abuse and/or bullying victimization in the same way as they do in women without such adversities. The findings add to the research on the effects of childhood trauma on mental health and body image and could inform interventions to reduce its negative impact.