Online Antisocial Behaviors
The Connection Between Dark Triad and Cyberstalking in a Brazilian Sample
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-8623.2025.1.47191Keywords:
dark triad, cyberstalking, intimate relationshipAbstract
Cyberstalking in intimate relationships is a growing concern. This study aimed to investigate the association between Dark Triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) and cyberstalking behaviors in a Brazilian sample. This was a quantitative, cross-sectional study with 215 Brazilian adults, recruited via social media. Participants completed the Dark Triad Dirty Dozen and the Intimate Partner Cyberstalking Scale. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlations and hierarchical linear regression. All Dark Triad traits were positively correlated with cyberstalking. In the regression analysis, psychopathy was a significant and unique predictor of cyberstalking in all models. Narcissism also emerged as a significant predictor after controlling for sociodemographic variables. However, Machiavellianism did not show a unique predictive effect. Additionally, men reported lower levels of cyberstalking perpetration than women. The findings suggest that psychopathy and narcissism are key predictors of cyberstalking perpetration in intimate relationships, highlighting the role of personality in understanding online antisocial behaviors. Psychopathic traits, in particular, stand out as the most robust factor.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Roberta Cordeiro Araujo, Carlos Manoel Lopes Rodrigues, Cristiane Faiad, Antonio de Pádua Serafim, Thicianne Malheiros da Costa, Ricardo Silva dos Santos Durães, Ana Isabel Sani
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