The moderating role of emotional intelligence on the association between adverse childhood experiences and conduct problems of adolescents

Abstract

We explored the moderating role of emotional intelligence in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and conduct problems of adolescents. The participants were 588 in-school Nigerian adolescents (male = 59.9%; mean age = 14.64 years, SD = 1.31 years). They completed measures of adverse childhood experiences–abuse domain (ACEs–AD), conduct problems, and emotional intelligence. Hayes regression-based PROCESS macro results revealed that the physical/emotional abuse and sexual abuse were positively associated with conduct problems. Test of moderation effects indicated that physical/emotional and sexual abuse was positively related to conduct problems for adolescents with low emotional intelligence but not for adolescents with moderate and high emotional intelligence. The study findings suggest higher emotional intelligence as an asset for resilient coping with ACE and reducing the risk for in-school adolescents’ conduct problems.