Emotional competence is essential for personal and social development. This study evaluated the impact of a programme aimed at enhancing emotional competencies among primary education pupils and teachers in Spain. The programme comprised 25 activities per academic year, targeting emotional awareness, regulation, autonomy, social competence, and life and well-being competences. It also incorporated the educational video game Happy 8–12 aimed at pupils from Years 3 to 6. A total of 1442 pupils and 134 teachers participated, divided into experimental and control groups across three primary education cycles. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed, combining pre-test/post-test quantitative analysis with qualitative data from an ad hoc questionnaire. Instruments included the Emotional Competencies Observation Scale, Emotional Development Questionnaires, and a teacher evaluation questionnaire. Results indicated significant improvements in pupils' emotional competencies across all cycles, with gains in emotional awareness, social competence, and life and well-being competences. First-cycle pupils (ages 6–8) showed gains in emotional autonomy, while second-cycle pupils (ages 8–10) also improved in emotional regulation. Third-cycle pupils (ages 10–12) demonstrated overall emotional growth. Teachers in the first cycle improved in emotional awareness and life and well-being competences; however, no significant changes were observed among teachers in later cycles, highlighting the need for differentiated training. Qualitative findings revealed perceived benefits including improved teacher–pupil relationships and conflict resolution, although time constraints and challenges in curricular integration were noted. These findings support the implementation of structured emotional education programmes to foster well-being and socio-emotional development. • Intervention boosts emotional competences in Primary Education students. • Early exposure improves students' emotional awareness and autonomy. • First cycle teachers improved in emotional awareness and life and well-being skills. • Programme enhances classroom climate and conflict resolution.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) significantly impact students' health. Studies have shown a dose-response relationship between ACEs on the one hand, and behavioral and mental health problems, and poor school outcomes on the other. However, there is a notable gap in understanding the ACE prevalence in primary and secondary school students with emotional/behavioral difficulties or disorders (EBD). Therefore, we analyzed data of 569,731 students (aged 4 to 18 years) across 55 studies through three-level meta-analyses and a narrative synthesis. The average prevalence rate for a single ACE among students with EBD was estimated to be 29.90 %. The prevalence varied by type of ACE, with neighborhood violence being the least prevalent at 4.26 % and maltreatment the most prevalent at over 40 %. There were no differences in prevalence rates between gender, age, ACE informants, and the use of special education services for EBD. We only found five studies on cumulative ACE numbers among students with EBD, which indicates another significant gap in knowledge. Our findings indicate that ACEs are significant environmental factors that contribute to the understanding of EBD in students within a biodevelopmental framework. Further research is necessary to investigate how the number, type, and timing of ACEs impact these students. Trauma-informed approaches have the potential to substantially improve outcomes for students with EBD by promoting ACE awareness and integrating this knowledge into educational policies, procedures, and practices. • Adverse childhood experiences impact students' mental, behavioral and academic health. • To inform schools, a review on the prevalence of adversity in students was performed. • Prevalence rates are elevated in both regular and special education students. • More research into students' cumulative adverse childhood experiences is needed. • Trauma-informed education enhances teachers' awareness and sensitivity to adversity.