Image-based sexual abuse profiles: Integrating mental health, adversities, and victimization to explore social contexts in a diverse group of young adults

Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) is a widespread phenomenon with profound psychological, social, and relational impacts. Yet, limited research has explored the intersection of IBSA with mental health symptoms, adversities, and poly-victimization, as well as how these experiences vary across socio-demographic factors and social contexts. This study aims to identify distinct latent profiles of IBSA survivors based on victimization experiences, adversities, poly-victimization, and mental health outcomes, and to examine how gender and sexual identity and social connectedness differ across these profiles. Participants were 6,266 U.S. young adults, aged 18–28 recruited online, with targeted oversampling of sexual and gender minorities. Latent Profile Analysis identified five profiles: Low Symptomatology (n = 3,376; 54 %), Isolated IBSA Impact (n = 565; 9 %), High Adversity/Low IBSA (n = 1,452; 23 %), High Symptomatology (n = 574; 9 %), and IBSA-Driven Distress (n = 288; 5 %). Low Symptomatology participants reported higher income, education, and social connectedness. High Symptomatology and IBSA-Driven Distress profiles included higher proportions of females, racial minorities, and sexual and gender minority individuals, along with elevated psychological symptoms, permissive peer norms around sharing IBSA, and lower social connectedness. Patterns persisted after adjusting for covariates. This study demonstrates that IBSA experiences vary widely across victimization, adversities, mental health, and social factors. Findings highlight the diverse impacts of IBSA and contribute to theory and practice by guiding tailored, trauma-informed interventions for high-risk groups.