Abstract

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) have been consistently linked to long-term psychological and behavioural consequences that may extend across generations. Evidence suggests that maternal exposure to ACEs is associated with an increased likelihood of behavioural problems in children; however, the mechanisms underlying this intergenerational transmission remain insufficiently understood, particularly in non-Western cultural contexts. This paper aims to conceptually examine and propose a mediation framework explaining the role of family interaction patterns in the relationship between maternal ACEs and children's behavioural problems in Saudi families. The model focuses on three core dimensions of family functioning; cohesion, flexibility, and communication, as key mediating mechanisms. The framework, informed by Family Systems Theory, Intergenerational Transmission Theory and Social Learning Theory, accounts for the mechanisms through which unresolved maternal adversity may disrupt family relational processes and influence children’s behavioural outcomes. Previous studies have focused on individual maternal factors (e.g., anxiety, depression, and parenting stress), with little attention to systemic family processes, especially in collectivist contexts. The Saudi context offers a unique setting where family cohesion may serve as a protective or risk factor depending on relational quality. This paper offers a culturally grounded model to inform future empirical research and family-based interventions in Saudi Arabia and similar societies. The contribution of this paper lies primarily in the theoretical integration of these previously studied constructs; maternal ACEs, family functioning, and children's behavioural outcomes within a single culturally situated model, rather than in the novelty of the individual constructs themselves.