Exploring the Relationship between Cyberbullying and the Dark Triad among University Students

Background/purpose. The Dark Triad traits-narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy- are linked to unethical and aggressive behaviors, which may contribute to cyberbullying. This study sought to explore the relationship between cyberbullying and the dark triad among university students. It also aimed to identify the differences in the degrees of both cyberbullying and dark triad traits according to demographic variables: gender, faculty, and academic level.

Materials/methods. The descriptive correlational approach was employed due to its suitability for the study's objectives. The study sample consisted of 455 male and female students from Yarmouk University, selected through convenience sampling using an online model. The Cyberbullying and the Dark Triad Scale were used to verify the study objectives.

Results. The results revealed the existence of a statistically significant positive relationship between cyberbullying and the dark triad among university students. The results also revealed the existence of statistically significant differences in the degree of cyberbullying attributed to the gender variable, as the mean among males was higher compared to that of females. Furthermore, there is no statistically significant difference in the degree of cyberbullying attributed to the faculty and the academic level variables. There are no statistically significant differences attributed to the effect of gender in all dimensions, except for Machiavellianism, where the differences favored males. Additionally, there were no statistically significant differences attributed to the effect of faculty in all dimensions. The results also found no statistically significant differences attributed to the effect of academic level, except for psychopathy, where the differences favored the bachelor's degree.

Conclusion. The study provides valuable insights into the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and cyberbullying among university students.

Keywords: Cyberbullying, Dark Triad traits, Machiavellianism, Narcissism, Psychopathy

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