17082R1m-2 Examining the Relationships between Dark Triad, Mindfulness, Childhood Emotional Abuse, Psychological Distress, and Cyberbullying among Malaysian Young Adults

Abstract

This research investigated the relationship between Dark Triad (DT) traits (narcissism, Machiavellianism, psychopathy), mindfulness, childhood emotional abuse (CEA), psychological distress, and cyberbullying among Malaysian young adults. Two quantitative studies were conducted. Study 1 (N=434) examined DT traits, mindfulness, CEA, and psychological distress using the Short Dark Triad (SD3), Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire – Short Form (CTQ-SF), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale - 21 (DASS-21). Findings showed Machiavellianism and psychopathy linked to higher distress, with mindfulness and CEA mediating these relationships. Narcissism was inversely related to reported CEA, which was associated with lower distress. Study 2 (N=135) focused on cyberbullying. This study utilized the Cyberbullying Offending Scale (CBOS) in addition to the measures from Study 1. All three DT traits positively predicted cyberbullying perpetration. Unlike Study 1's findings, mindfulness, CEA, and psychological distress did not mediate the relationship between DT traits and cyberbullying. Overall, DT traits predict psychological distress via mindfulness and CEA, but directly predicts cyberbullying. This highlights the need for mindfulness/trauma-focused interventions and future research should employ longitudinal and multi-method approaches to further explore these dynamics.