Interaction of psychopathic traits in the prediction of cyberbullying behavior

Abstract

The principal aim of the present study was to analyze whether the interaction of three psychopathic traits (callous-unemotional, grandiose-manipulative and impulsive-irresponsible) longitudinally predicts the perpetration of cyberbullying behaviors in adolescents. The sample consisted of 741 participants (379 girls and 357 boys) aged 14 to 19 (M = 15.33; SD = 1.14). Participants completed measures of the three traits at time 1 and measures of cyberbullying perpetration at time 1 and time 2 (one year apart). The results show that grandiose-manipulative and impulsive-irresponsible traits longitudinally predicted cyberbullying behaviors. Furthermore, callous-unemotional traits predicted cyberbullying when impulsivity levels were high. The interaction grandiosity × impulsivity was also significant, suggesting that each predicts cyberbullying behavior when the levels of the other variable are low. These findings have implications for both prevention and intervention and highlight the importance of taking into account these three psychopathic traits to better predict cyberbullying behavior among adolescents.