Journal of Educational, Health and Community Psychology
VOL 14 NO 4 DECEMBER 2025

Fragile Hopes, Strong Minds: Self-Regulation and Emotion Regulation as Mediators between Basic Psychological Needs and the Psychological Well-Being of Children in Conflict with the Law

Yul Arifiana, isrida (Unknown)
Nur Fatwa, Ajang (Unknown)



Article Info

Publish Date
08 Dec 2025

Abstract

Children in Conflict with the Law (CCL) are a vulnerable group at risk of low psychological well-being due to social stigma, legal pressure, and limited developmental environments. This study aims to examine the influence of Basic Psychological Needs (BPN) on Psychological Well-Being (PWB) in CCL, with Self-Regulation (SR) and Emotion Regulation (ER) as mediating variables. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was used on 214 CCL participants aged 13–17 years who were undergoing developmental programs at the Special Child Development Institution (LPKA) and non-governmental organizations in Surabaya. The research instruments included the BSPWB-A to measure PWB, the BPNSFS for BPN, the Zimmerman model-based self-regulation scale for SR, and the ERQ-CA for ER. Data analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS 4. The results showed that BPN had a positive and direct effect on PWB (β = 0.366; t = 5.665; p < 0.001). SR significantly mediated the BPN–PWB link (β_indirect = 0.125; t = 3.723; p < 0.001), indicating partial mediation, whereas ER did not mediate the relationship (βindirect = 0.125; t = 3.723; p < 0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of fulfilling basic psychological needs and strengthening self-regulation skills as practical strategies in improving the psychological well-being of CCL.  

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Journal Info

Abbrev

Psychology

Publisher

Subject

Education Public Health

Description

Journal of Educational, Health, and Community Psychology (JEHCP) published an article, and empirical study that have originality, novelty and fill the gap of knowledge, that focused on educational psychology, health psychology and community psychology. JEHCP is an open access peer reviewed, ...