A Kick in the Pants: Influence of Dark-Triad Personality Traits and Gender on Violence Intention among Teenagers in Yobe State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study examined the influence of the dark triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy) and gender on violent intentions among teenagers. The design adopted for the study is the survey design. A total of 300 participants took that cut across the three Senatorial districts of Yobe State participated in the study. The subejects were examined on a battery of standardized psychological tests. The sample comprised of 155 (51.7%) male and 145 (48.3%) female, standardized paper and pencil questionnaire was employed for data collection. The influence of the dimensions of the dark triad personality traits (Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy, and gender and socioeconomic status were examined on the violent intention of the teenagers using hierarchical regression analysis. The results showed that each independent variable can jointly and independently predict violent intentions. It was recommended that government, law enforcement agencies, psychologists, teachers and individuals should be aware of the relationship existing between dark triad personality traits, aggression and violent intentions so as to reduce deviant behaviours and handle criminals appropriately.