Are Dark Triad Traits related with Intimate Partner Violence and
Stalking Behavior? A survey on an Italian sample
Abstract
The Dark Triad of Personality represents a collection of three socially
different traits: Machiavellism, Narcissism and Psychopathy. Throughout
our study, we carried out a survey on an Italian sample (N. = 541 - Age
= 18-75 – Male = 241 / Female = 300), by administering an anonymous
questionnaire, named Short Dark Triad, and by verifing the association
between the Dark Triad Traits and the subject’s admission of having hit
own’s partner (I.P.V. – Intimate Partner Violence), or subject’s
admission of Stalking behavior (as ex partner). By using a linear
regression method, results shows positive association between
Psychopathy and Machiavellianism with Intimate Partner Violence. Also,
in male subjects, results revealed Psichopathy trait and admission of
I.P.V. as good predictors of stalking behaviour, conversely in female
subjects only psichopathy is a predictor of stalking behavior. There is
no association beetwen Narcisism trait and subject’s admission of I.P.V.
neither subject’s admission of Stalking behaviour.