Adverse childhood experiences of emotional and physical abuse and emotional and behavioral problems: the mediating effects of family function and resilience

Adverse childhood experiences are a widespread phenomenon that can have a variety of negative effects on children. Emotional and behavioral problems (EBP) in children have been gaining interest in recent years. Therefore, this study aims to explore the association between emotional and physical abuse (EPA) and preschool children's EBP, as well as to assess the mediating effects of family function and resilience in this association. A cross-sectional study was conducted, and we recruited 3,636 participants from 26 kindergartens in three cities. Correlation analysis and regression analysis were used to test the relationships between EPA, mediators (family function and resilience), and EBP. Structural equation modeling was used to perform the mediation analyses. The results of this study showed that EPA predicted EBP in preschool children, family function, and resilience independently and in combination to mediate the relationship. Therefore, improving family function and increasing children's level of resilience are beneficial methods for the prevention and intervention of EBP in preschool children who experience EPA, but most fundamentally to avoid or reduce the occurrence of abuse. Further longitudinal studies are needed to confirm our findings and explore possible mediating mechanisms.