Examining the dark tetrad and its links to cyberbullying

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a growing problem in the fast-evolving world of social media. Although this problem has been studied extensively, there is relatively little research examining it from the angle of the dark tetrad (i.e., Psychopathy, Machiavellianism, Sadism and Narcissism), especially across different ethnicities.In other words, this research makes original contribution by exploring the predictive ability of the dark tetrad traits in individuals of different ethnicities and their subsequent willingness to engage in cyberbullying. The study (N=1464) explores whether there is a positive association between the dark tetrad personality traits and cyberbullying. The results reveal that all four traits predict cyberbullying in participants from across three different ethnicities (Asian, Black and White). Furthermore, female participants score less than their male counterparts across all four traits. Researchers, academics and legislators might potentially benefit from this research by considering focusing their interventions on helping offenders minimize the display of certain personality traits, thus taking steps towards cyberbullying reduction.