LAUSR

Effect of PTSD and negative venting on violent behaviors and suicidal ideation were investigated by assessing the moderating role of negative venting in the relationship between PTSD and violent behaviors, suicidal ideation. After the Wenchuan earthquake, child survivors (N = 1504) from 12 primary schools in Wenchuan and Maoxian counties participated in the study. All children completed the Child PTSD Symptom Scale, the Child Behavior Problems Questionnaire and the revised Coping Style Inventory. The results indicated that three PTSD symptom clusters could predict violent behaviors, but suicidal ideation could only be predicted by the avoidance symptom clusters of PTSD. Moreover, negative venting moderated the association between intrusive symptom clusters and avoidance symptom clusters of PTSD and violent behaviors. These findings suggest that specific PTSD symptom clusters have differential effects on violent behaviors, based on different frequencies of utilizing negative venting. These results are discussed in terms of their implications for clinical social workers that provide psychological services for traumatized children.