The role of parents in the formation and maintenance of positive body image in children and young adolescents in the era of social media use. Longitudinal research and experimental prevention workshops.

The project examines how the bond with parents – both mother and father – and physical closeness shape a positive body image in children and younger teenagers aged 8–14. The team analyses how family relationships can protect against the negative influence of social media promoting unrealistic ideals of appearance among children. The project is longitudinal in nature and involves the creation and testing of workshops for children, and in some groups also for parents, which are designed to support body acceptance, mindfulness of the body's needs and resilience to appearance pressure. The results will help to develop effective strategies for the prevention of body image problems and eating disorders

Principal Investigator: Karolina Kubicka