The effects of negative life events and dark tetrad traits on antisocial behaviour in adolescents

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that exposure to adverse life events is positively associated with a tendency towards antisocial behavior. However, results concerning relationships between antisocial behaviour and internal factors, such as personality traits, are not so consistent. The present study aimed to examine the effects of negative life events and Dark Tetrad traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and sadism) on different antisocial behaviors, including norm-breaking, aggression, vandalism, and drug use. The sample included 221 high school students (66% females) from three cities in Serbia. Results showed that negative life events significantly predicted norm-breaking, aggression, and vandalism, while such life events’ power to predict drug use ceased once the dark traits were added to the regression model. In the case of dark traits, narcissism, psychopathy, and sadism positively predicted norm-breaking and aggression, while sadism also predicted vandalism. Machiavellianism did not significantly predict any of the antisocial behaviors. Тhe results suggest that norm-breaking is largely explained by both negative life events and personality traits. Aggression, on the other hand, is better explained by personality traits. Finally, the examined factors contribute much less to the explanation of vandalism and drug use.The results are discussed in the context of possible prevention of antisocial behavior in adolescents.

Keywords

• antisocial behavior
• delinquency
• negative life events
• dark tetrad
• dark triad