The role of self-regulatory deficits in the path from childhood adversity to risky and problematic sexual behaviour

One of the most devastating consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are its effects on children's psychosocial development. Such experiences can result in self-regulatory deficits including the inability to regulate affect and cope with stressors (Lackner et al., 2018; Poole et al., 2018). This is problematic given the longer-term implications of these deficits, including increased engagement in risky and problematic sexual behaviours (RPSBs). To date, research has yet to fully conceptualise the longitudinal and causal interplay between ACEs, emotion dysregulation, maladaptive coping, and RPSBs. In a series of six studies this thesis examined the role of emotion dysregulation and maladaptive coping as proximal self-regulatory mechanisms underlying the relationship between ACEs and RPSBs. Studies 1 and 2 provided insight into the momentary and longitudinal associations between these constructs. Study 3 examined the validity of a behavioural analogue task for sexual aggression to allow for more robust inferences regarding sexually problematic behaviour to be drawn. Studies 4a, 4b, and 5 experimentally manipulated the saliency of ACEs and the use of coping strategies to examine the knock-on effect on coping and RPSBs, respectively. Limited evidence was found to suggest that emotion dysregulation and maladaptive coping represented key pathways in the association between ACEs and RPSBs. Whilst ACEs did longitudinally precede emotion dysregulation and avoidance coping, these mechanisms were not consistently associated with RPSBs. Despite this, findings presented important theoretical and practical implications for secondary intervention and highlight the need to better understand these constructs within community samples.