Mediated relationships between childhood trauma and workplace mistreatment and the moderating effect of self-esteem

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which are traumatic events experienced in childhood, have negative lasting effects on individuals in adulthood, and affect various areas of life, including work life. Their long-term impact in professional settings is crucial for understanding their impact on adult life. However, research on the theoretical and empirical findings behind its effects in the workplace is limited. The main objective of this quantitative study was to explore how ACEs affect different types of exposed workplace mistreatment (i.e., abusive supervision, mobbing, and workplace incivility). It also investigates the mediating roles of counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs) and instigated workplace incivility in these relationships, and further examines the moderating role of self-esteem level in the relationship between ACEs and instigated workplace incivility. Data were collected through an online survey and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS 23.0 and Process Macro with SPSS. The study revealed that first, ACEs were positively associated with CWBs and instigated workplace incivility toward coworkers. Second, self-esteem (SE) moderated these relationships such that workers with high SE were less likely to engage in CWBs and incivility compared to those with low SE, despite high ACEs score. Third, CWBs mediated the relationships between ACEs and exposure to abusive supervision, mobbing, and workplace incivility. Similarly, instigated workplace incivility mediated the relationships between ACEs and exposure to such behaviors. The findings suggest that there are long-term impacts of ACEs on employees' negative work behaviors, and these destructive acts, in turn, increase their likelihood of being exposed to workplace mistreatment.