Bullying involvement and psychopathic personality: disentangling the links among college students
Bullying involvement and psychopathic personality: disentangling the links among college students
Main Article Content
Abstract
There is a good deal of research about the predictors of aggressive and antisocial behaviour in children, adolescents, and adults. Additionally, previous work has established a link between psychopathic personality and disruptive behaviours among youth, with clear links to bullying. However, little is known about the role of psychopathic personality traits in the manifestation of bullying in young adults. In order to shed additional understanding on the nature of the relationship between bullying and psychopathy, the current investigation proposes to compare psychopathic personality traits in relation to participants’ roles in bullying and to examine the relationships between bullying and psychopathy. The sample comprised here involves 273 college students (Mage=25.5; SD=6.1), who responded to measures of psychopathy and bullying behaviours. With the exception of Carefree Non-Planfulness, Fearlessness, Stress Immunity and Social Influence, all other psychopathic domains measured by the PPI-R-40 were positively correlated with victimisation (rrange=.07-.35). Higher self-reporting of bullying others was linked with higher levels of Blame Externalisation, Machiavellianism, Rebellion Nonconformity, Self-Centred Impulsivity factor, Social Influence, and total psychopathy (rrange=.08-.38). Significant differences between participants’ involvement with bullying for Blame Externalisation, Machiavellian Egocentricity, Rebellion Nonconformity, Social Influence, Total Psychopathy and Self-Centred Impulsivity factor. Implications of the study, along with limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
References
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of bullying and victimization in adolescence: Relations to delinquency and self-harm.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(9), 1030-
1038. doi:10.1097/CHI.ObO13e31817eec98
Baughman, H.M., Dearing, S., Giammarco, E., & Vernon, P.A. (2012). Relationships between
bullying behaviours and the Dark Triad: A study with adults. Personality and Individual
Differences, 52(5), 571-575. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.020
Bender, D., & Losel, F. (2011). Bullying at school as a predictor of delinquency, violence and
other anti-social behaviour in adulthood. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health, 21(2),
99-106. doi:10.1002/cbm.799
Benning, S.D., Patrick, C.J., Hicks, B.M., Blonigen, D.M., & Krueger, R.F. (2003). Factor
Structure of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory: Validity and Implications for
Clinical Assessment. Psychological Assessment, 15(3), 340–350. doi:10.1037/1040–
3590.15.3.340
Brankley, A.E., & Rule, N.O. (2014). Threat perception: How psychopathy and Machiavellianism
relate to social perceptions during competition. Personality and Individual Differences,
71, 103–107. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.015
Carbone-Lopez, K., Esbensen, F., & Brick, B.T. (2010). Correlates and consequences of peer
victimization: gender differences in direct and indirect forms of bullying. Youth Violence
and Juvenile Justice, 8, 332-350.doi:10.1177/1541204010362954
Cleckley, H.M. (1988). The mask of sanity: An attempt to clarify some issues about the so called
psychopathic personality (5th ed.). Augusta: Emily S. Cleckley.
Copeland, W.E., Wolke, D., Angold, A., & Costello, E.J. (2013). Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of
Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry,
70(4), 419. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504
Craig, W.M. (1998). The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and
aggression in elementary school children. Personality and Individual Differences, 24,
123–130.
Crick, N.R., & Dodge, K.A. (1994). A review and reformulation of social information–processing
mechanisms in children’s social adjustment. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 74–101.
doi:10.1037/0033–2909.115.1.74
DeCamp, W., & Newby, B. (2015). From bullied to deviant: the victim-offender overlap among
bullying victims. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 13(1), 3-17.
doi:10.1177/1541204014521250
DeLisi, M., Angton, A., Vaughn, M.G., Trulson, C.R., Caudill, J.W., & Beaver, K.M. (2014). Not
My Fault: Blame Externalization Is the Psychopathic Feature Most Associated With
Pathological Delinquency Among Confined Delinquents. International Journal of
Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 58(12), 1415-1430.
doi:10.1177/0306624X13496543
Dodge, K.A. (1991). The structure and function of reactive and proactive aggression. In D. Pepler,
K. Rubin (Eds). The Development and Treatment for Childhood Aggression (pp. 201-
218). Hillsdale: Erlbum.
Eisenbarth, H., Lilienfeld, S.O., & Yarkoni, T. (2015). Using a genetic algorithm to abbreviate the
Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Psychological Assessment, 27(1),
194-202. doi:10.1037/pas0000032
Espelage, D.L., & Holt, M. (2001). Bullying and victimization during early adolescence: Peer
influences and psychosocial correlates. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2(2), 123-142.
doi:10.1300/J135v02n02_08
Fanti, K.A., & Kimonis, E.R. (2013). Dimensions of juvenile psychopathy distinguish “bullies,”
“bully-victims,” and “victims”. Psychology of Violence, 3(4), 396–409.
doi:10.1037/a0033951
Frick, P.J., Cornell, A.H., Barry, C.T., Bodin, S.D., & Dane, H.E. (2003). Callous-unemotional
traits and conduct problems in the prediction of conduct problem severity, aggression,
and self-report of delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 457-470.
doi:10.1023/A:1023899703866
Garaigordobil, M., & Oñederra, J.A. (2010). Inteligencia emocional en las víctimas de acoso
escolar y en los agresores. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 3(2), 243-
256. doi:10.1989/ejep.v3i2.63
Higgins, G.E., Khey, D.N., Dawson-Edwards, B.C., & Marcum, C.D. (2012). Examining the link
between being a victim of bullying and delinquency trajectories among an African
American sample. International Criminal Justice Review, 22, 110-122.
doi:10.1177/1057567712443965
Juvonen, J., & Graham, S. (2014). Bullying in Schools: The Power of Bullies and the Plight of
Victims. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 159-185. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych010213-115030
Kiire, S. (2017). Psychopathy rather than Machiavellianism or narcissism facilitates intimate
partner violence via fast life strategy. Personality and Individual Differences, 104,
401–406. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.043
Kimonis, E.R., Skeem, J.L., Cauffman, E., & Dmitrieva, J. (2011). Are secondary variants of
juvenile psychopathy more reactively violent and less psychosocially mature than
primary variants? Law and Human Behavior, 35(5), 381-391. doi:10.1007/s10979-010-
9243-3
Lilienfeld, S.O., & Andrews, B.P. (1996). Development and Preliminary Validation of a SelfReport Measure of Psychopathic Personality Traits in Noncriminal Population. Journal
of Personality Assessment, 66(3), 488–524. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6603_3
Losey, B. (2011). Bullying, suicide, and homicide: understanding, assessing, and preventing
threats to self and others for victims of bullying. New York: Routledge.
McMains, M.J., & Mullins, W.C. (2014). Crisis negotiations: managing critical incidents and
hostage situations in law enforcement and corrections. New York: Routledge.
Méndez, I., & Cerezo, F. (2010). Bullying y factores de riesgo para la salud en estudiantes de
secundaria. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 3(2), 209-218.
doi:10.1989/ejep.v3i2.61
Menesini, E., & Salmivalli, C. (2017). Bullying in schools: the state of knowledge and effective
interventions. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22(sup1), 240–253.
doi:10.1080/13548506.2017.1279740
Miller, J.D., Hyatt, C.S., Maples-Keller, J.L., Carter, N.T., & Lynam D.R. (2016) Psychopathy and
Machiavellianism: a distinction without a difference? Journal of Personality, n/a-n/a.
doi:10.1111/jopy.12251
Neumann, C.S., Malterer, M.B., & Newman, J.P. (2008). Factor structure of the Psychopathic
Personality Inventory (PPI): Findings from a large incarcerated sample. Psychological
Assessment, 20(2), 169–174. doi:10.1037/1040–3590.20.2.169
Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: basic facts and effects of a
school based intervention program. In D. Pepler, & K. Rubin (Eds). The Development
and Treatment of Childhood Aggression (pp. 411-448). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Ragatz, L.L., Anderson, R.J., Fremouw, W., & Schwartz, R. (2011). Criminal thinking patterns,
aggression styles, and the psychopathic traits of late high school bullies and bullyvictims. Aggressive Behavior, 37(2), 145-160. doi:10.1002/ab.20377
Reijntjes, A., Vermande, M., Thomaes, S., Goossens, F., Olthof, T., Aleva, L., & Van der Meulen,
M. (2016). Narcissism, Bullying, and Social Dominance in Youth: A Longitudinal
Analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(1), 63–74.
doi:10.1007/s10802–015–9974–1
Rodkin, P.C., Espelage, D.L., & Hanish, L.D. (2015). A relational framework for understanding
bullying: developmental antecedents and outcomes. The American Psychologist, 70(4),
311-321. doi:10.1037/a0038658
Ruchensky, J.R., Edens, J.F., Donnellan, M.B., & Witt, E.A. (2017). Examining the reliability and
validity of an abbreviated Psychopathic Personality Inventory—Revised (PPI-R) in four
samples. Psychological Assessment, 29(2), 238–244. doi:10.1037/pas0000335
Schmidt, F.L., & Hunter, J.E. (2014). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in
research findings. London: Sage publications.
Sourander, A., Jensen, P., Ronning, J.A., Niemela, S., Helenius, H., Sillanmaki, L., & …
Almqvist, F. (2007). What Is the Early Adulthood Outcome of Boys Who Bully or Are
Bullied in Childhood? The Finnish “From a Boy to a Man” Study. Pediatrics, 120(2),
397–404. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2704
Sutton, J., Smith, P.K., & Swettenham, J. (1999a). Social cognition and bullying: social
inadequacy or skilled manipulation? The British Journal of Developmental Psychology,
17, 435–450. doi:10.1348/026151099165384
Sutton, J., Smith, P.K., & Swettenham, J. (1999b). Bullying and “theory of mind”: A critique of
the “social skills deficit” view of anti–social behavior. Social Development, 8, 117–127.
doi:10.1111/1467–9507.00083
Thompson, D.F., Ramos, C.L., & Willett, J.K. (2014). Psychopathy: clinical features,
developmental basis and therapeutic challenges. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and
Therapeutics, 39(5), 485–495. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12182
van Geel, M., Toprak, F., Goemans, A., Zwaanswijk, W., & Vedder, P. (2016). Are Youth
Psychopathic Traits Related to Bullying? Meta-analyses on Callous-Unemotional Traits,
Narcissism, and Impulsivity. Child Psychiatry & Human Development.
doi:10.1007/s10578-016-0701-0
Warren, G.C. (2009). The relationship between psychopathy and indirect aggression in a
community sample. (Doctoral dissertation, University of York). Retrieved on 12
November 2016, from http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/785/1/thesisfinal.pdf
Zych, I., Farrington, D.P., Llorent, V.J., & Ttofi, M.M. (2017). Personal Protective Factors against
Bullying: Emotional, Social, and Moral Competencies. In I. Zych, D. P. Farrington, V.J.
Llorent, & M.M. Ttofi (Eds.), Protecting Children Against Bullying and Its
Consequences (pp. 23–40). Cham: Springer International Publishing.
of bullying and victimization in adolescence: Relations to delinquency and self-harm.
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(9), 1030-
1038. doi:10.1097/CHI.ObO13e31817eec98
Baughman, H.M., Dearing, S., Giammarco, E., & Vernon, P.A. (2012). Relationships between
bullying behaviours and the Dark Triad: A study with adults. Personality and Individual
Differences, 52(5), 571-575. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2011.11.020
Bender, D., & Losel, F. (2011). Bullying at school as a predictor of delinquency, violence and
other anti-social behaviour in adulthood. Criminal Behavior and Mental Health, 21(2),
99-106. doi:10.1002/cbm.799
Benning, S.D., Patrick, C.J., Hicks, B.M., Blonigen, D.M., & Krueger, R.F. (2003). Factor
Structure of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory: Validity and Implications for
Clinical Assessment. Psychological Assessment, 15(3), 340–350. doi:10.1037/1040–
3590.15.3.340
Brankley, A.E., & Rule, N.O. (2014). Threat perception: How psychopathy and Machiavellianism
relate to social perceptions during competition. Personality and Individual Differences,
71, 103–107. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.07.015
Carbone-Lopez, K., Esbensen, F., & Brick, B.T. (2010). Correlates and consequences of peer
victimization: gender differences in direct and indirect forms of bullying. Youth Violence
and Juvenile Justice, 8, 332-350.doi:10.1177/1541204010362954
Cleckley, H.M. (1988). The mask of sanity: An attempt to clarify some issues about the so called
psychopathic personality (5th ed.). Augusta: Emily S. Cleckley.
Copeland, W.E., Wolke, D., Angold, A., & Costello, E.J. (2013). Adult Psychiatric Outcomes of
Bullying and Being Bullied by Peers in Childhood and Adolescence. JAMA Psychiatry,
70(4), 419. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.504
Craig, W.M. (1998). The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety, and
aggression in elementary school children. Personality and Individual Differences, 24,
123–130.
Crick, N.R., & Dodge, K.A. (1994). A review and reformulation of social information–processing
mechanisms in children’s social adjustment. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 74–101.
doi:10.1037/0033–2909.115.1.74
DeCamp, W., & Newby, B. (2015). From bullied to deviant: the victim-offender overlap among
bullying victims. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 13(1), 3-17.
doi:10.1177/1541204014521250
DeLisi, M., Angton, A., Vaughn, M.G., Trulson, C.R., Caudill, J.W., & Beaver, K.M. (2014). Not
My Fault: Blame Externalization Is the Psychopathic Feature Most Associated With
Pathological Delinquency Among Confined Delinquents. International Journal of
Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 58(12), 1415-1430.
doi:10.1177/0306624X13496543
Dodge, K.A. (1991). The structure and function of reactive and proactive aggression. In D. Pepler,
K. Rubin (Eds). The Development and Treatment for Childhood Aggression (pp. 201-
218). Hillsdale: Erlbum.
Eisenbarth, H., Lilienfeld, S.O., & Yarkoni, T. (2015). Using a genetic algorithm to abbreviate the
Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (PPI-R). Psychological Assessment, 27(1),
194-202. doi:10.1037/pas0000032
Espelage, D.L., & Holt, M. (2001). Bullying and victimization during early adolescence: Peer
influences and psychosocial correlates. Journal of Emotional Abuse, 2(2), 123-142.
doi:10.1300/J135v02n02_08
Fanti, K.A., & Kimonis, E.R. (2013). Dimensions of juvenile psychopathy distinguish “bullies,”
“bully-victims,” and “victims”. Psychology of Violence, 3(4), 396–409.
doi:10.1037/a0033951
Frick, P.J., Cornell, A.H., Barry, C.T., Bodin, S.D., & Dane, H.E. (2003). Callous-unemotional
traits and conduct problems in the prediction of conduct problem severity, aggression,
and self-report of delinquency. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 31, 457-470.
doi:10.1023/A:1023899703866
Garaigordobil, M., & Oñederra, J.A. (2010). Inteligencia emocional en las víctimas de acoso
escolar y en los agresores. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 3(2), 243-
256. doi:10.1989/ejep.v3i2.63
Higgins, G.E., Khey, D.N., Dawson-Edwards, B.C., & Marcum, C.D. (2012). Examining the link
between being a victim of bullying and delinquency trajectories among an African
American sample. International Criminal Justice Review, 22, 110-122.
doi:10.1177/1057567712443965
Juvonen, J., & Graham, S. (2014). Bullying in Schools: The Power of Bullies and the Plight of
Victims. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 159-185. doi:10.1146/annurev-psych010213-115030
Kiire, S. (2017). Psychopathy rather than Machiavellianism or narcissism facilitates intimate
partner violence via fast life strategy. Personality and Individual Differences, 104,
401–406. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2016.08.043
Kimonis, E.R., Skeem, J.L., Cauffman, E., & Dmitrieva, J. (2011). Are secondary variants of
juvenile psychopathy more reactively violent and less psychosocially mature than
primary variants? Law and Human Behavior, 35(5), 381-391. doi:10.1007/s10979-010-
9243-3
Lilienfeld, S.O., & Andrews, B.P. (1996). Development and Preliminary Validation of a SelfReport Measure of Psychopathic Personality Traits in Noncriminal Population. Journal
of Personality Assessment, 66(3), 488–524. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa6603_3
Losey, B. (2011). Bullying, suicide, and homicide: understanding, assessing, and preventing
threats to self and others for victims of bullying. New York: Routledge.
McMains, M.J., & Mullins, W.C. (2014). Crisis negotiations: managing critical incidents and
hostage situations in law enforcement and corrections. New York: Routledge.
Méndez, I., & Cerezo, F. (2010). Bullying y factores de riesgo para la salud en estudiantes de
secundaria. European Journal of Education and Psychology, 3(2), 209-218.
doi:10.1989/ejep.v3i2.61
Menesini, E., & Salmivalli, C. (2017). Bullying in schools: the state of knowledge and effective
interventions. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 22(sup1), 240–253.
doi:10.1080/13548506.2017.1279740
Miller, J.D., Hyatt, C.S., Maples-Keller, J.L., Carter, N.T., & Lynam D.R. (2016) Psychopathy and
Machiavellianism: a distinction without a difference? Journal of Personality, n/a-n/a.
doi:10.1111/jopy.12251
Neumann, C.S., Malterer, M.B., & Newman, J.P. (2008). Factor structure of the Psychopathic
Personality Inventory (PPI): Findings from a large incarcerated sample. Psychological
Assessment, 20(2), 169–174. doi:10.1037/1040–3590.20.2.169
Olweus, D. (1991). Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: basic facts and effects of a
school based intervention program. In D. Pepler, & K. Rubin (Eds). The Development
and Treatment of Childhood Aggression (pp. 411-448). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Ragatz, L.L., Anderson, R.J., Fremouw, W., & Schwartz, R. (2011). Criminal thinking patterns,
aggression styles, and the psychopathic traits of late high school bullies and bullyvictims. Aggressive Behavior, 37(2), 145-160. doi:10.1002/ab.20377
Reijntjes, A., Vermande, M., Thomaes, S., Goossens, F., Olthof, T., Aleva, L., & Van der Meulen,
M. (2016). Narcissism, Bullying, and Social Dominance in Youth: A Longitudinal
Analysis. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 44(1), 63–74.
doi:10.1007/s10802–015–9974–1
Rodkin, P.C., Espelage, D.L., & Hanish, L.D. (2015). A relational framework for understanding
bullying: developmental antecedents and outcomes. The American Psychologist, 70(4),
311-321. doi:10.1037/a0038658
Ruchensky, J.R., Edens, J.F., Donnellan, M.B., & Witt, E.A. (2017). Examining the reliability and
validity of an abbreviated Psychopathic Personality Inventory—Revised (PPI-R) in four
samples. Psychological Assessment, 29(2), 238–244. doi:10.1037/pas0000335
Schmidt, F.L., & Hunter, J.E. (2014). Methods of meta-analysis: Correcting error and bias in
research findings. London: Sage publications.
Sourander, A., Jensen, P., Ronning, J.A., Niemela, S., Helenius, H., Sillanmaki, L., & …
Almqvist, F. (2007). What Is the Early Adulthood Outcome of Boys Who Bully or Are
Bullied in Childhood? The Finnish “From a Boy to a Man” Study. Pediatrics, 120(2),
397–404. doi:10.1542/peds.2006-2704
Sutton, J., Smith, P.K., & Swettenham, J. (1999a). Social cognition and bullying: social
inadequacy or skilled manipulation? The British Journal of Developmental Psychology,
17, 435–450. doi:10.1348/026151099165384
Sutton, J., Smith, P.K., & Swettenham, J. (1999b). Bullying and “theory of mind”: A critique of
the “social skills deficit” view of anti–social behavior. Social Development, 8, 117–127.
doi:10.1111/1467–9507.00083
Thompson, D.F., Ramos, C.L., & Willett, J.K. (2014). Psychopathy: clinical features,
developmental basis and therapeutic challenges. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and
Therapeutics, 39(5), 485–495. doi:10.1111/jcpt.12182
van Geel, M., Toprak, F., Goemans, A., Zwaanswijk, W., & Vedder, P. (2016). Are Youth
Psychopathic Traits Related to Bullying? Meta-analyses on Callous-Unemotional Traits,
Narcissism, and Impulsivity. Child Psychiatry & Human Development.
doi:10.1007/s10578-016-0701-0
Warren, G.C. (2009). The relationship between psychopathy and indirect aggression in a
community sample. (Doctoral dissertation, University of York). Retrieved on 12
November 2016, from http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/785/1/thesisfinal.pdf
Zych, I., Farrington, D.P., Llorent, V.J., & Ttofi, M.M. (2017). Personal Protective Factors against
Bullying: Emotional, Social, and Moral Competencies. In I. Zych, D. P. Farrington, V.J.
Llorent, & M.M. Ttofi (Eds.), Protecting Children Against Bullying and Its
Consequences (pp. 23–40). Cham: Springer International Publishing.