Using a hybrid prospective-retrospective study design, we examined the predictive validity of the Ontario Domestic Assault Risk Assessment (ODARA), Domestic Violence Risk Appraisal Guide (DVRAG), and the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) in an incarcerated sample of 94 Canadian adult men with a history of intimate partner violence (IPV) referred for treatment. The sample was followed for an average of 3.6 years following release, yielding base rates of 23.4% and 12.8% for violent and IPV recidivism, respectively. Analyses revealed that the ODARA and DVRAG displayed high inter-rater reliability and that the two measures along with Factor 1 of the PCL-R generated the largest area under the curve (AUC) for IPV recidivism (AUC = .71, .71, and .69, respectively). Predictive validity of the three measures was maintained even after accounting for treatment exposure. Although promising, clinical implications of administering the ODARA and DVRAG to incarcerated men with a history of IPV are discussed.

This study examined whether education, indirect contact, and a combination of education and indirect contact was associated with lower scores of forensic stigma. Undergraduate students (N = 698) were randomly assigned into one of four conditions: An education video that provides empirical evidence challenging the myths about forensic patients, a contact video using clips from a documentary about a real forensic patient, a combination of both education and contact videos, and a control video providing general psychology facts. Participants completed questions about demographic characteristics, previous education in forensic psychology, and contact with forensic patients, as well as completing the Forensic Stigma Scale-Revised which measures the key stereotypes driving forensic stigma (i.e. dangerousness/unpredictability and responsibility/blame). Overall, participants in the education and combined condition had the lowest scores of forensic stigma. Participants in the contact condition scored similar to the control group. There were significant effects for gender (men and women) within conditions. The findings support the use of education interventions as an effective means of addressing stigma towards forensic patients.

Coercive bullying (i.e., pressuring a peer to do something they do not want to do) is a widespread problem in correctional and secure forensic settings. Though risk factors for other types of bullying (e.g., physical) have been studied, there is limited research investigating risk factors of coercive bullying. The Violence Risk Appraisal Guide-Revised (VRAG-R) is a well-validated and widely used actuarial risk assessment tool for measuring risk of future violence. Given that risk factors for violence overlap with risk factors for bullying, the present study seeks to investigate whether items within the VRAG-R are associated with coercive bullying perpetration in a sample of 94 forensic inpatients in Canada. Data were collected cross-sectionally across four forensic hospitals using a structured interview format. Using a self-report checklist (through interviews) to measure 18 items of coercive bullying behavior over the previous 3 months, 35 participants (37%) disclosed perpetrating coercive bullying against their peers. Coercive bullying perpetration was significantly and moderately associated with two VRAG-R items: younger age at index offense (AUC = .66) and a history of conduct disorder (AUC = .66), while other items also resulted in medium effects. These findings have important implications for understanding risk of coercive bullying perpetration.

Research has shown that psychopathic traits—personality attributes including cold-heartedness, manipulativeness, and impulsivity—are linked with problems in romantic relationships, often resulting in partner abuse or relationship dissolution. Because of tendencies toward detachment, selfishness, and antagonism, psychopathic traits may present unique challenges to relationship maintenance factors such as forgiveness. Studies have yet to examine, however, whether psychopathic traits challenge both negative (unforgiveness) and positive (forgiveness) motives toward partners and what mechanisms might be involved (e.g., rumination, trait forgivingness). Our study, therefore, examined the links between psychopathic traits and both unforgiveness and forgiveness motivations toward partners and whether antecedent variables of forgiveness mediated these links. We surveyed 551 young adults who recalled a past hurtful event by a partner where they decided to forgive them for this hurt. Results showed that despite deciding to forgive the hurtful event, psychopathic traits were associated with higher revenge motives and lower benevolence motives and lesser extent of feeling forgiveness of partners. Further, mediation models showed indirect effects of psychopathic traits on these outcomes via trait forgivingness. The results suggest that those with psychopathic traits may continue to harbor revenge and feel less benevolence and forgiveness toward partners following transgressions even after deciding to forgive them. Forgiveness may be one relationship maintenance factor that could be compromised in those with psychopathic traits, which can help inform the research on relationship dysfunction in psychopathy.

Aggrieved entitlement (AE) refers to the defensiveness and hostility majority-group members feel toward the outgroup in response to a perceived threat of lost privileges. Over the last couple of years, AE has garnered a great deal of attention in the media as well as in the empirical literature because of its connection with extremism and violence against minority groups. Yet, to date, research quantifying and measuring the construct of AE is scant. In this paper, we aim to bridge this gap. Across two studies ( N1 = 813; N2 = 1,100) we explore the factor structure of the Aggrieved Entitlement Scale (AES) and examine its concurrent and divergent validity with related demographic, attitudinal, and personality factors. We found that the AES was positively correlated with racist attitudes, fear-based xenophobia, authoritarianism, sexism, transphobia, and sexual entitlement. We further found that it was negatively correlated with feminist attitudes, honesty-humility, and compassionate love. In both samples, scores were higher among men (vs. women) and heterosexual (vs. sexual minority) individuals. Finally, in contrast to our expectations, racial and ethnic minority participants scored higher in AE than White participants. Results from this work offer initial support for the use of the AES and call for more research into the topic.

PurposeDespite representing a relatively small portion of the population, those who experience repeat victimization make up a significant share of all sexual and violent crimes, implying that perpetrators target them repeatedly. Indeed, research reveals specific traits (e.g. submissiveness) and behaviors (e.g. gait) related to past victimization or vulnerability. The purpose of this study is to explore the link between personality traits, self-assessed vulnerability and nonverbal cues.Design/methodology/approachIn all, 40 undergraduate Canadian women were videotaped while recording a dating profile. Self-report measures of assertiveness, personality traits and vulnerability ratings for future sexual or violent victimization were obtained following the video-recording. The videotape was coded for nonverbal behaviors that have been related to assertiveness or submissiveness.FindingsSelf-perceived sexual vulnerability correlated with reduced assertiveness and dominance and increased emotionality (e.g. fear and anxiety). Additionally, nonverbal behaviors differed based on personality traits: self-touch was linked to lower assertiveness, dominance and extraversion and higher submissiveness, emotionality and warm-agreeableness.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to consider the relationships between personality, self-perceived vulnerability and nonverbal behaviors among college-aged women. Potential implications, including enhancing autonomy and self-efficacy, are discussed.

Research shows psychopathic traits in adults are associated with perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV). Less research, however, has examined this association in adolescents' relationships. Our study examines whether adolescent psychopathic traits are associated with different forms of IPV and whether early adverse experiences of abuse and/or interparental violence might be implicated in this relationship. A mixed sample of 156 justice-involved and at-risk adolescents were assessed with the PCL:YV, participated in an early adversity interview assessing abuse and interparental violence, and completed IPV measures of physical and psychological aggressive acts. Psychopathic traits were associated with each IPV measure over and above early adversity. Psychopathic traits continued to be associated with psychological but not physical IPV after accounting for sample type. Furthermore, psychopathic traits indirectly linked interparental violence with psychological IPV, suggesting that psychopathic traits may play a role in the intergenerational perpetration of partner violence.

Most studies examining empathy in psychopathy and autism agree that different components of empathy are implicated in each condition. Most of these studies, however, have relied on a two-component model of empathy (emotional and cognitive). Our study examines how psychopathic and autistic traits may be associated with the components of a more differentiated model of empathy that includes affective (i.e., feeling what others feel), cognitive (i.e., knowing what others feel), and motivational/sympathetic components (i.e., caring what others feel). The study included 884 college students who completed self-report measures of psychopathic and autistic traits as well as the three components of empathy. Using path modeling, we found that of the three components of empathy, sympathetic empathy was uniquely negatively associated with psychopathic traits and each of its dimensions whereas cognitive empathy was uniquely negatively associated with autistic traits and each of its dimensions. Affective empathy was not uniquely associated with either psychopathic or autistic traits. Our findings suggest that sympathetic aspects of empathy are uniquely implicated in psychopathy and cognitive aspects of empathy are uniquely implicated in autism, but neither condition may have core problems with affective empathy. We suggest that etiological models and treatment approaches might consider the implications of a three-component model of empathy for psychopathy and autism.

Sexual behavior plays a prominent role in adult descriptions of psychopathy, and research shows associations between psychopathy in males and distinct aspects of sexuality, including impersonal, precocious, and coercive sexuality involving reproductively mature sexual partners. Evolutionary perspectives have suggested that consistent links with these sexual outcomes may reflect a male mating strategy that can result in reproductive success. But fewer studies have examined the various aspects of sexuality and psychopathic traits during adolescence, a time when reproductive strategies may become entrained. Using a mixed sample of 156 criminal justice-involved and at-risk community male adolescents (Mage = 17.4, SD = 1.2), we examined associations of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version with impersonal, precocious, coercive, and mature (i.e., sexual interest in reproductively mature females) sexuality. Psychopathic traits were associated with each aspect of sexuality, including impersonal, precocious, coercive sexuality as well as increased likelihood of showing a sexual interest in reproductively mature adult females. The results suggest that psychopathy in adolescent males is associated with a unique pattern of sexuality like that seen in adult males and may suggest the beginnings of a young male mating strategy whose pattern of impersonal and coercive sexuality may continue into adulthood.

This study investigates the relationship between styles of humour, facets of psychopathy, and three facets of empathy, aiming to discern whether these variables are interrelated and how. A sample of 884 undergraduate students completed a series of questionnaires online and results were analyzed via structural equation modelling and correlations. Key findings reveal a strong positive relationship between aggressive humour, psychopathic traits, and lack of motivational empathy and a strong positive relationship between affiliative humour, affective empathy, and motivational empathy. These findings reveal that empathy and humour are largely intertwined, and therefore humour styles consistent with a lack of empathy may be an important feature of psychopathy in non-clinical settings. For instance, negative humour may be utilized by non-criminal psychopaths to harm others without facing legal repercussions. This research contributes to the study of psychopathy and bridges the gaps in research by investigating the presentation of psychopathic traits outside of institutional environments.

Despite media attention on non-consensual intimate image dissemination (NCII), the literature on the personality traits, attitudes, and beliefs that predict NCII approval, enjoyment, and perpetration is limited. With a sample of 810 undergraduate students, we examined the relationship between dark personality traits, acceptance of image-based sexual abuse-related myths, and NCII. We found that 48.2% of our participants did not oppose NCII perpetration, 71.4% did not oppose NCII enjoyment, and 97.8% did not oppose NCII approval. Moreover, we found that being a man, heterosexual, and scoring higher in dark personality traits predicted acceptance of Image-Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA)-related myths. In turn, accepting such myths predicted not opposing NCII proclivity. Our results underscore the importance of demystifying technology-facilitated sexual violence and promoting educational material that highlights lived experience and dispelling IBSA-related myths. PRACTICAL IMPACT STATEMENT This article may assist educators, policymakers, and stakeholders in designing strategies for the prevention of non-consensual intimate image dissemination (NCII) perpetration by explaining how acceptance of image-based sexual abuse myths, personality traits, and demographic characteristics are related to the willingness to accept, enjoy, or engage in NCII perpetration.

Although cyberflashing (the unsolicited sending of nude or sexual images) is common, it is typically met with a negative reaction from the receiver. This discrepancy could be interpreted as evidence that the cyberflasher is either unaware of the non-enthusiastic response to their image or that they enjoy making the receiver uncomfortable. To date, little research has examined the reasons behind cyberflashing, especially for sending sexual images that are not genital pictures from cisgender men (i.e., "dick pics"). In this study, we examined desire for power and control, partner hunting, personal/sexual gratification, and transactional mindset as reasons for cyberflashing and explored how gender, sexual orientation, expected responses from the receiver, and dark personality traits predicted each cyberflashing reason among those who report a history of sending unsolicited nude or sexual images. Among our sample of 816 undergraduate students (72.0% women; 81.4% heterosexual), 41.8% reported having sent an unsolicited nude or sexual image. Among cyberflashers, partner hunting was the most commonly reported reason to cyberflash (64.3%). When examining the predictors of each cyberflashing reason, expecting an affirming response, and not expecting a non-affirming response were significant for all four reasons among the cyberflashers in our sample. Moreover, higher sadism scores predicted endorsing transactional mindset, whereas higher psychopathy scores predicted power and control. Finally, identifying as a woman predicted endorsing partner hunting and personal/sexual gratification as a cyberflashing reason. Our results highlight the nuance and contradictions of the reasons behind cyberflashing, expand our understanding of the practice, and underscore the importance of education on consent in online sexual interactions.

Having a supervisor with psychopathic characteristics is related to being bullied, poorer job satisfaction, work/family life conflict, financial instability, and distress. To date, all research on corporate psychopathy victims considers how they are negatively impacted rather than potential positive outcomes. In response, this study examined how working with a psychopath impacts posttraumatic growth (PTG). Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, this study draws upon the experiences of 285 individuals who have worked with a colleague or supervisor with alleged psychopathic characteristics. Results indicated that approach coping and psychopathic characteristics predicted PTG. Qualitative analyses revealed that the majority of participants used various coping strategies (e.g., emotion-focused), received support (e.g., emotional), and underwent post-experiential growth or learning (e.g., positive personal growth); not all growth/learning was positive, however (e.g., less trusting). Results suggest that cultivating approach-focused coping strategies may enhance PTG following a traumatic event.

Non-consensual intimate image dissemination (NCII), or else better known as "revenge pornography" is a form of technology-facilitated sexual violence that can have devastating effects on the victim. This is one of the first studies examining how demographic characteristics (gender, sexual orientation), personality traits (Dark Tetrad), and attitudes (aggrieved entitlement, sexual entitlement, sexual image abuse myth acceptance) predict NCII perpetration and victimization. In a sample of 810 undergraduate students (72.7% female and 23.3% male), 13.7% of the participants had at some point in their life, distributed nude, or sexual pictures of someone else without consent and 28.5% had experienced such victimization. NCII perpetration was predictive of NCII victimization and vice versa. Using binomial logistic regression, we found that women, members of the LGBQ+ community, those scoring higher in sadism, and participants with a history of NCII perpetration were more likely to report that someone had distributed their nude or sexual image without consent. Further, we found that those scoring higher in narcissism and sadism, along with those with a history of NCII victimization were more likely to report they had distributed the nude or sexual image of someone else without consent. Finally, the findings suggest that the relationship between victims and perpetrators is quite a bit more varied than the term "revenge pornography" implies.

The current study examined the psychometric properties (factor structure, reliability and validity) of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV; Forth et al., 2003) in Spanish samples of male justice-involved youths between 15 and 22-years old. The PCL:YV was administered to two groups of youths who were incarcerated ( n = 62; n = 95) and a sample of youth on probation ( n = 122). Confirmatory factor analyses showed acceptable-to-good fit for three- and four-factor models. The four-factor hierarchical model with a second-order higher factor representing the whole psychopathy construct was considered for further analyses. PCL:YV scores showed high internal consistency and inter-rater reliability. Low-to-moderate convergence with other measures of psychopathic traits evinced an adequate convergent validity. Convergent and discriminant validity of the PCL:YV total scores were also confirmed considering several measures of psychopathology and personality traits. Importantly, the differential external correlates of the PCL:YV factors provide support for a multidimensional conceptualization of the psychopathy construct. Altogether, these results reveal adequate psychometric properties of the PCL:YV in Spanish population of justice-involved youths and justifies its use to assess psychopathic traits in this kind of populations.

Limited research exists exploring survivors' experiences in a relationship with a psychopathic abuser and their mental health following relationship dissolution. The present study examines the specific traits and patterns of abuse that have the most profound impact on survivors' mental health. Self-identified survivors of an intimate relationship with a psychopathic abuser (N = 454; M-age = 45.5) were recruited from intimate partner abuse support websites. They were assessed for abuse experiences, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomology, and the extent to which their abuser exhibited psychopathic traits via self-report questionnaires. Multiple regression analysis revealed that abusers' psychopathic traits were predictive of survivors' PTSD symptomology. Specifically, when controlling for the duration since last contact with the abuser and relationship length, interpersonal and affective traits, and experiences of versatile forms of abuse contributed to more severe PTSD symptoms. The present findings are consistent with an emerging body of research showing that abusers' emotional disconnection and predatory nature facilitate their ability to maintain an intimate relationship while engaging in a wide range of abuse resulting in widespread harm to survivors' mental health.

Most of the research on cyberflashing (i.e., using technology to send someone a nude or sexual image without their consent) has focused on cisgender men sharing pictures of their genitals (i.e., "dick pics"). Within this, what is known about the expectations and reactions to cyberflashing is also limited. Here, we examine the cyberflashing practices, expectations, and reactions of both men and women. Participants in our study (n = 810, 41.8% cyberflashers; 68.0% had been cyberflashed) reported how they expected those receiving their unsolicited sexual images would feel and how they feel when they receive such an image. Women cyberflashers were more likely to endorse expecting a flirty or positive reaction from the receiver and were more likely to report having an ambivalent or negative reaction when cyberflashed. Conversely, men cyberflashers were more likely to expect a negative reaction from the receiver but reported having a flirty or positive reaction when cyberflashed. Finally, we found that expecting a flirty or positive reaction and not expecting a negative reaction were predictive of cyberflashing. Findings highlight the mismatch between the expectations and actual reactions of cyberflashing and underscore the importance of consent education for online sexual interactions.

Purpose In women, having a history of sexual victimization has been linked to certain personality traits (e.g. low levels of assertiveness) and nonverbal behaviors (e.g. fewer head movements). The majority of research in this area, however, has considered how self-reported personality traits and gait relate to victimization. As such, the present study aims to examine how observers’ perceptions of personality impact judgments of targets’ vulnerability to sexual and violent victimization, and how the nonverbal behaviors used when making these judgments may vary depending on perceived personality traits. Design/methodology/approach A total of 309 participants watched eight audio-less videos of a woman speaking. Following each video, participants rated each woman on varying personality and emotionality traits, as well as their perception of how vulnerable the woman was to future victimization, and how they came to their decision according to a number of predetermined nonverbal cues. Findings Consistent with previous research, observers’ perceptions of sexual vulnerability were negatively related to perceptions of targets’ self-esteem and confidence, and positively related to anxiety. While violent vulnerability displayed a similar pattern of results, the nonverbal behaviors cited during the vulnerability appraisal process varied between personality traits. Though few results emerged within the latter query, anxiety exhibited the majority of all significant relationships, including being positively associated with facial expressions and upper and lower body movements. Originality/value Results suggest that different behavioral and personality interventions (e.g. increasing self-esteem) may serve to increase self-efficacy, autonomy and confidence, as well as help women feel more in control of their destiny and interpersonal communications.

Several investigators have assessed the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) for invariance across offender ethnicities and in correctional and forensic-psychiatric contexts. Yet we do not know whether, or to what extent, item properties among male offenders vary throughout adulthood. With a combined sample of PCL-R data on offenders from Canada and the United States (N = 4,820), we measured item properties for offenders in age groups of Early (18-30 years old), Middle (31-49 years old), and Late (50+ years old) adulthood. Nine items showed differential item functioning across age group comparisons. Among the Early group, the PCL-R Interpersonal and Affective traits were most informative for measuring the latent trait of psychopathy. Among the Late group, the PCL-R Lifestyle and Antisocial items were most informative for the latent trait. These differences in item information illustrate how psychopathy manifests in male offenders throughout adulthood.