Temperament and Adversity in Childhood and Adolescence: A Scoping Review of Influences on Developmental Outcomes

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are significant risk factors affecting neurobiological, emotional, and behavioural development across the lifespan. While extensively studied, the interplay between ACEs and individual characteristics such as temperament remains underexplored. This scoping review systematically mapped evidence on the relationship between ACEs, temperament dimensions, and developmental outcomes. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines, searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCOhost. Studies published between 1998 and 2025 in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, including those involving children and adolescents up to 18 years old, were eligible. From 1,505 records, 19 studies met the inclusion criteria, totalling 22.375 participants, mostly from the United States and using longitudinal designs. Findings indicate that temperamental traits, particularly inhibitory control, emotional reactivity, and negative affectivity, are implicated in the association between ACEs and outcomes such as externalizing behaviours, anxiety, executive functioning deficits, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, and personality disorder features, with existing studies examining these traits as potential mediators or moderators. Most studies applied diathesis-stress models, with limited use of differential susceptibility theory (DST), which considers "for-better-and-for-worse" effects depending on environmental quality. This gap limits understanding of developmental plasticity and individual differences in susceptibility. Future research should adopt longitudinal, culturally diverse, DST-aligned designs, examining temperament as both vulnerability and plasticity markers to enhance understanding and guide interventions for children exposed to early adversity.