Citation

Sui X, Massar K, Kessels LTE, Reddy PS, Ruiter RAC, Sanders-Phillips K. Psychol. Health 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-19.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics and Child Health , Howard University , Washington DC , USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/08870446.2019.1637521

PMID

31273997

Abstract

Objective: The association between violence exposure and health risk behaviours in South African adolescents, and the moderating role of emotion dysregulation were investigated. Design: A multi-ethnic sample of adolescents (N = 925: boy: 47.3%, girl: 52.7%, M age = 16 years, SD = 1.54) completed a survey. Main outcome measures: Violence exposure across different contexts (home-, school-, community-, political victimisation), emotion dysregulation (inability to regulate sadness and anger) and a composite measure of health risk behaviours (smoking, substance use, risky sexual behaviour) were examined. Results: Boys reported more risk behaviours than girls, t (844) = 5.25, p < 0.001. Direct community victimisation was a predictor for boys' risk behaviours, B = 0.22, p < 0.001. Indirect school victimisation and direct community victimisation were predictors for girls' risk behaviours, B's = 0.19, p's < 0.01. Girls reported higher emotion dysregulation than boys, t (748) = -2.95, p < 0.01. Only for girls, emotion dysregulation moderated the associations of indirect home victimisation, B = 16, p < 0.01, and direct community victimisation, B = 15, p < 0.05, with risk behaviours. Conclusion: Interventions may target emotion regulation skills, particularly for girls, to enhance resilience to the negative effects of violence on behaviours.

Language: en

Keywords

Violence exposure; adolescents; emotion dysregulation; health risk behaviours; victimisation