The impact of emotional abuse on Internet addiction in Chinese children: the sequential mediation roles of emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy.

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In China, emotional abuse and Internet addiction are increasingly prevalent among children, with significant negative effects on their development. Previous research has identified childhood emotional abuse as a major risk factor for Internet addiction in both adolescents and adults. However, the immediate impact of emotional abuse on children's Internet addiction within Chinese culture remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the impact of emotional abuse on Internet addiction through emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy in Chinese children. A sample of 556 fourth to sixth grade primary school students (girls, 46.6%) with an average age of 10.30 ± 0.93 years were recruited from a central province in China. Participants completed the paper-and-pencil survey on emotional abuse, emotional dysregulation, regulatory emotional self-efficacy, and Internet addiction. The hypothesized model was tested using Mplus 8.3 with 5,000 bootstrap samples. Emotional abuse positively predicts Internet addiction in children; emotional dysregulation and regulatory emotional self-efficacy mediate this relationship independently, and have chain-mediating effects in this relationship. Emotional abuse impacts children's Internet addiction through the development of emotional regulation and self-perception of their abilities in emotional regulation. The findings offer potential strategies for preventing children's Internet addiction.