The Phenomenon of Body Shaming: A Psychological Perspective and Violation of Human Values

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the understanding, psychological perspectives, and dimensions of the human rights violations of the body shaming phenomenon based on the perceptions of undergraduate Psychology students from the Class of 2025 at the Indonesian University of Education. Involving 33 respondents, the majority of whom were female (78.8%) and in the adolescent age range (17-19 years), it was found that 63.3% of respondents had experienced body shaming. The results indicate that respondents perceive body shaming as a behavior that is prevalent in social and digital environments, often in the form of open criticism of physical appearance. From a psychological perspective, adolescents are a vulnerable group because this practice can disrupt the development of selfidentity, trigger anxiety, lower self-esteem, and lead to social withdrawal. Furthermore, this study confirms that body shaming is fundamentally a form of lookism (appearance-based discrimination) that violates individual rights and dignity. Respondents' awareness is supported by legal and philosophical foundations in Indonesia, where this action contradicts the Second Principle of Pancasila and has the potential to be a criminal offense under the ITE Law. This study concludes that body shaming is a serious psychosocial issue that demands changes in social norms, educational interventions, and stronger legal protection.