Exposure to violence across multiple contexts and health risk behaviours in South African adolescents: the moderating role of emotion dysregulation.

The association between violence exposure and health risk behaviours in South African adolescents, and the moderating role of emotion dysregulation were investigated. A multi-ethnic sample of adolescents ( = 925: boy: 47.3%, girl: 52.7%, age = 16 years,  = 1.54) completed a survey. Violence exposure across different contexts (home-, school-, community-, political victimisation), emotion dysregulation (inability to regulate sadness and anger) and a composite measure of health risk behaviours (smoking, substance use, risky sexual behaviour) were examined. Boys reported more risk behaviours than girls, (844) = 5.25,  < 0.001. Direct community victimisation was a predictor for boys' risk behaviours,  = 0.22,  < 0.001. Indirect school victimisation and direct community victimisation were predictors for girls' risk behaviours, 's = 0.19, s < 0.01. Girls reported higher emotion dysregulation than boys, (748) = -2.95,  < 0.01. Only for girls, emotion dysregulation moderated the associations of indirect home victimisation,  = 16,  < 0.01, and direct community victimisation,  = 15,  < 0.05, with risk behaviours. Interventions may target emotion regulation skills, particularly for girls, to enhance resilience to the negative effects of violence on behaviours.