Are Dark Triad Traits related with Intimate Partner Violence and Stalking Behavior? A survey on an Italian sample

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.