Narcissism linked to cyberbullying, bullying offline

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<strong>Narcissism is an important risk factor for both aggression and violence as an analysis of 437 studies showed that it is linked to online cyberbullying, as well as bullying offline.<br />
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The findings, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, showed that the key component of narcissism is entitlement.<br />
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It also has two peripheral components — grandiose (those with high self-esteem) and vulnerable (those with low self-esteem).<br />
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The study found all of these components were linked to aggression.<br />
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"Individuals who are high in narcissism are not particularly picky when it comes to how they attack others," said researcher Sophie Kjaervik from The Ohio State University.<br />
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For the study, the team combined and analysed data from many studies to provide a comprehensive view of this research area.<br />
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In this meta-analysis, they examined data from 437 independent studies with a total of 123,043 participants.<br />
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People higher in narcissism were not only more likely to lash out in anger, but were also more likely to be "cold, deliberate and proactive" in their aggression.<br />
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They were more likely than others to be aggressive whether they were provoked or not, the study found.<br />
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But the risk for aggression was significantly higher when they felt provoked, such as being ignored or insulted.<br />
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