• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.182-198
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• 2022

Bullying at school results in a variety of psychological and social issues. Even after victims reach adulthood, these issues do not resolve and can have detrimental effects. The purpose of this study is to explore the effect of school bullying victimization on body appreciation in adulthood. Considerations include multi-mediating effects of physical attractiveness comparison and ambivalent emotions toward beauty. A research model comprised of six hypotheses was derived applying the A (adversity)-B (belief)-C (consequence) theory. A survey with 583 South Korean women in their twenties to forties was conducted to collect data. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, and multi-mediation analysis were applied, and all hypotheses were accepted. School bullying victimization had a negative influence on body appreciation in adulthood. Additionally, physical attractiveness comparison and ambivalent emotions toward beauty mediated this causal relationship. Also, the mediating effect of physical attractiveness comparison on the relationship between school bullying victimization and body appreciation was the greatest among the three mediating effects. This study demonstrated that bullying victimization at school continues into adulthood, which hurts body appreciation of adulthood. The findings would contribute to the development of therapy programs for school bullying victims.