ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES AND PSYCHOSOCIAL DIFFICULTIES AMONG SCHOOL-GOING CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS IN SELECTED SOUTH AFRICAN PROVINCES

Abstract

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as abuse, neglect, family conflict, and other adverse experiences within the family environment may influence children’s emotional wellbeing, behaviour, and interpersonal functioning with others. This study examined the association between these experiences and the difficulties experienced by children and adolescents in the school setting. The study was conducted in four South African provinces: Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and North West of South Africa to examine whether the earners with greater exposure to adverse childhood experiences also experienced emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention and peer relationship problems. The findings revealed that ACEs were significantly associated with emotional difficulties, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and peer relationship problems, accounting for 64.6%–66.8% of the variance. Emotional difficulties were also associated with conduct problems (β = .66, p < .001). However, peer relationship problems was not significantly associated with adverse childhood experiences and conduct problems (β = .001, p = .951). Overall, the findings suggest that adverse childhood experiences are associated with children’s and adolescents’ psychosocial functioning. Early identification and support are therefore important. Support systems should not focus only on a learner’s behaviour but should also consider family circumstances, school, peer relationships, and broader community context.

Keywords: adverse childhood experiences, psychosocial difficulties, school-going children, adolescents, mental health

Ethics and Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that ethical guidelines were followed throughout the research process. Participation was voluntary, informed consent was obtained from participants, confidentiality and anonymity were protected, and the collected data were used only for scientific purposes. The authors declare no conflict of interest was reported for this study. The research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships.

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