- Childhood abuse at T1 prospectively predicted increased emotional and behavioural problems at T3.
- Lower psychological capital at T2 mediated the link between T1 childhood abuse and T3 emotional and behavioural problems.
- Reduced self-control at T2 and a chain mediation from psychological capital to self-control explained the abuse to outcomes pathway.
Child Abuse Negl. 2026 Aug 5;180:108241. doi: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108241. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to further test the lagged associations between childhood abuse, emotional (depression and loneliness) and behavioral problems (smartphone addiction and online trolling) based on the dual-systems model of self-control.
METHOD: A total of 1005 junior middle school students (Mage = 13.41; SD = 0.49) participated in the study. Childhood abuse, psychological capital, self-control, emotional problems, and behavioral problems were assessed at three time points (T1, T2, and T3) separated by one year. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the associations among the studied variables.
RESULTS: The results indicated that (i) T1 childhood abuse positively predicted T3 emotional and behavioral problems; (ii) T1 childhood abuse positively predicted T3 emotional and behavioral problems through T2 psychological capital; (iii) T1 childhood abuse positively predicted T3 emotional and behavioral problems through T2 self-control; and (iv) T1 childhood abuse positively predicted T3 emotional and behavioral problems through the chain-mediating pathway from T2 psychological capital to T2 self-control.
CONCLUSIONS: These results supported the dual-systems model of self-control and provided implications for interventions targeting adolescents’ emotional and behavioral problems.
PMID:42555994 | DOI:10.1016/j.chiabu.2026.108241
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