TY - JOUR PY - 2023// TI - Childhood maltreatment and homicidal ideation among Chinese early adolescents: the serial mediating role of borderline personality features and aggression JO - Aggressive behavior A1 - Li, Yonghan A1 - Huang, Xiaoman A1 - Yuan, Mengyuan A1 - Chang, Junjie A1 - Zhang, Tingting A1 - Wang, Gengfu A1 - Su, Puyu SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - A large body of evidence linked childhood maltreatment (CM) to juvenile violence and delinquent behavior. However, little is known about the association between CM and homicidal ideation in early adolescents. This study aimed to examine that relationship and to explore the serial mediating role of borderline personality features (BPF) and aggression in that relationship in a large sample of early adolescents. A total of 5724 early adolescents (mean age: 13.5 years) were recruited from three middle schools in Anhui Province, China. The participants were invited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding their history of CM, BPF, aggression, and homicidal ideation. Mediation analyses were evaluated using structural equation modeling. A total of 669 participants (11.7%) reported homicidal ideation in the past 6 months. CM victimization was positively associated with homicidal ideation after adjusting for covariates. Furthermore, the serial mediation analysis showed a significant indirect effect of CM on homicidal ideation through BPF and subsequent aggression. Exposure to maltreatment in childhood is likely to manifest BPF and subsequently higher levels of aggression, which in turn are related to increased homicidal ideation. These findings suggest the need for early intervention for BPF and aggression in early adolescents exposed to CM to prevent the development of homicidal ideation.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0096-140X UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ab.22091 ID - ref1 ER -