Longitudinal Relation Between Childhood Maltreatment and Problematic Gaming in Early Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Self-Control and Sex Differences

Childhood maltreatment has been linked to heightened risk for problematic gaming among adolescents, yet the self-regulatory processes underlying this association remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on the dual-mode model of self-control, the present three-wave longitudinal study examined whether the impulsive and effortful modes of self-control mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic gaming, and whether these pathways differed by sex. Participants were 988 Chinese early adolescents (43.8% girls; M age = 10.26 years, SD = 0.94) and their parents, who completed assessments at three waves spaced six months apart. Adolescents reported their childhood maltreatment experiences and self-control, whereas parents reported adolescents' problematic gaming behaviors. Structural equation modeling showed that, in the total sample, childhood maltreatment predicted higher levels of the impulsive mode and lower levels of the effortful mode of self-control. However, only the impulsive mode of self-control significantly predicted subsequent problematic gaming and mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic gaming. Multigroup analyses further revealed sex-specific patterns. Among girls, neither the impulsive nor effortful mode of self-control significantly mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and problematic gaming. Among boys, however, the impulsive mode of self-control emerged as a significant mediator. These findings suggest that the impulsive mode of self-control may be a particularly relevant self-regulatory pathway linking childhood maltreatment to problematic gaming among boys, highlighting the importance of considering sex differences when examining the developmental consequences of maltreatment.