Mediating roles of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom severity and self-control on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and adult aggression

Previous research has identified attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and low self-control as risk factors for aggressive behavior. While associations among these variables have been widely documented, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Grounded in the General Theory of Crime, this study investigates the relationship between ACEs and aggression, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of ADHD and self-control in a serial mediation model. Based on the theoretically grounded assumption that ACEs contribute to adult ADHD symptomatology, which impairs self-control and predicts aggressive behavior, this study examines the dynamic interplay among these constructs in a mixed-gender sample of 350 participants aged 18 to 76 years (M = 34.9, SD = 13.1). Serial mediation analyses revealed positive associations between ACEs and aggression, as well as between ACEs and ADHD. Additionally, a significant positive correlation was observed between ADHD and aggression. Conversely, self-control exhibited a negative relationship with both ADHD and aggression. Mediation analyses indicated that ADHD and self-control partially mediated the link between ACEs and aggression in adults irrespective of gender and age. Our results suggest that violence prevention efforts could benefit from early interventions aimed at reducing ACEs, diagnostic assessment and treatment of ADHD symptoms, and therapeutic interventions designed to enhance self-control and thereby mitigate their impact on aggression.