Childhood Trauma, Emotional Intelligence, and Impulsive Behavior among School-Going Adolescents in Kawempe Division.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between childhood trauma, emotional intelligence, and impulsive behavior among school-going adolescents in Kawempe Division, Kampala District. A correlational cross-sectional design was employed, involving 167 adolescents aged 13 to 19 years selected through stratified random sampling across three secondary schools. Data were collected using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS), and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11). Descriptive statistics revealed that 79.6% of participants had experienced moderate to severe levels of childhood trauma, 58.1% demonstrated moderate emotional intelligence, and 67.7% exhibited elevated impulsive behavior. Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a significant negative relationship between emotional intelligence and impulsive behavior (r = –.462, p < .001), and a significant positive relationship between childhood trauma and impulsive behavior (r = .514, p < .001). Process macro confirmed emotional intelligence as a significant predictor of impulsive behavior (β = –.462, p < .001), accounting for 21.3% of the variance. Mediation analysis revealed that emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and impulsive behavior, reducing the direct effect of trauma on impulsivity. These findings underscore the need for trauma-informed, emotionally focused interventions within school-based mental health frameworks targeting adolescents in urban Ugandan settings.