Emotional Abuse, Hope, and Emotional Stability in Adolescent

Abstract

Emotional abuse is one of the most pervasive yet underreported forms of childhood maltreatment, with research indicating that approximately 36% of adults globally report having experienced emotional abuse during their developmental years. The present study examined hope as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between emotional abuse and emotional stability among Pakistani adolescents and further explored differences across residential area (urban vs. rural). A cross-sectional, quantitative correlational design was employed with a convenience sample of N = 300 school- and college-going adolescents (Matric, Intermediate, and Bachelor levels) drawn from public and private institutions in Punjab, Pakistan. Emotional abuse was assessed using the Emotional Abuse Questionnaire (Momtaz et al., 2022), hope was measured using the Adult Hope Scale (Snyder et al., 1991), and emotional stability was operationalized using the Affective Lability Scale Short Form (Oliver & Simons, 2004), with all items reverse-scored so that higher scores reflect greater emotional stability.