Childhood Trauma and Aggression Among Chinese College Students: The Mediation of Self-Compassion and Moderation of Left-Behind Experience

Objective: Previous studies have found that college students with left-behind experience presented high levels of aggression, and childhood trauma may be one of the contributors. This study aimed to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and aggression in Chinese college students, and to explore the mediating role of self-compassion and the moderating role of left-behind experience. Method: 629 Chinese college students completed the questionnaires at two time points: childhood trauma and self-compassion were assessed at baseline, and aggression was assessed at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Results: Among these participants, 391 (62.2%) had left-behind experience. Emotional neglect of college students with left-behind experience in childhood was significantly higher than that of college students without such experience. Childhood trauma predicted aggression after 3 months among college students. Self-compassion mediated the predictive effect of childhood trauma on aggression after controlling for gender, age, only-child status, and family residential status. However, no moderating effect of left-behind experience was found. Conclusions: These findings indicated that childhood trauma is an important predictor of aggression among Chinese college students regardless of their left-behind experience. The reason for the higher aggression of left-behind college students may be that their left-behind situation increased the possibility of childhood trauma. In addition, whether in college students with left-behind experience or without such experience, childhood trauma may increase aggression by reducing the level of self-compassion. Furthermore, interventions incorporating components to improve self-compassion could be effective in decreasing aggression of college students who perceived high childhood trauma.