Aggression in individuals who perpetrated crimes: The impact of adverse and positive childhood experiences.

Objective: This study examined the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), positive childhood experiences (PCEs), and aggression, focusing on whether PCEs moderate the ACEs–aggression relationship. Method: The sample consisted of 317 males who perpetrated crimes in Portugal, aged between 19 and 84 years, sentenced to prison. Participants completed the ACEs Questionnaire, the Benevolent Childhood Experiences Scale, and the Buss–Perry Aggression Questionnaire–Short Form. Results: ACEs showed significant positive correlations with all aggression subscales, whereas PCEs were negatively correlated with both ACEs and all aggression subscales. Moderation analyses revealed that PCEs moderate the relationship between total ACEs and physical aggression. Additionally, PCEs served as a moderator between specific types of ACEs and distinct dimensions of aggression. Specifically, PCEs moderated the relationship between emotional neglect and total aggression, as well as between sexual abuse, emotional neglect, physical neglect, and family mental disorder and physical aggression. Conclusions: These findings highlight the protective role of PCEs; however, their buffering effect appears to be specific to certain types of ACEs and primarily limited to particular dimensions of aggression. This suggests that while promoting PCEs can be a valuable strategy in mitigating the negative behavioral outcomes of ACEs, targeted interventions may be necessary to address more severe or varied forms of aggression stemming from specific adverse experiences.