Detection of intimate partner aggression through dark personality and moral disengagement.

Health professionals are often the first to detect abuse. Intimate partner aggression can be approached by studying the personality of the aggressor. From this perspective, dark personality and the use of moral disengagement mechanisms are two key variables. In this study, information was collected from 348 individuals, mostly women, and a questionnaire was applied to determine what their sexual behavior was like with their partner. The Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) test was used to identify dark personality and the Propensity to Moral Disengagement to identify moral disengagement. Data were collected via Google forms and multivariate decision tree analysis (CHAID growth method) was performed. Results show that men score higher on the variables of dark personality variables and use of moral disengagement mechanisms than on the three variables that, along with sex, increase the presence of dark personality and moral disengagement mechanisms: infidelity, pornography consumption, and maintaining homosexual relationships. Infidelity and pornography consumption are characteristics present in all dimensions of dark personality. Moreover, these three variables are defining characteristics of relationships with high sadism scores. Nursing staff are possibly able to detect the presence of these variables in aggressors and thus initiate a process of victim protection. Therefore, this study proposes that nursing staff should be trained to perform this detection.

Detection of intimate partner aggression through dark personality and moral disengagement / Detección de la agresión en la pareja íntima a través de la personalidad oscura y la desconexión moral / Detecção de agressão por parceiro íntimo através de personalidade sombria e desengajamento moral

Abstract: Health professionals are often the first to detect abuse. Intimate partner aggression can be approached by studying the personality of the aggressor. From this perspective, dark personality and the use of moral disengagement mechanisms are two key variables. In this study, information was collected from 348 individuals, mostly women, and a questionnaire was applied to determine what their sexual behavior was like with their partner. The Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) test was used to identify dark personality and the Propensity to Moral Disengagement to identify moral disengagement. Data were collected via Google forms and multivariate decision tree analysis (CHAID growth method) was performed. Results show that men score higher on the variables of dark personality variables and use of moral disengagement mechanisms than on the three variables that, along with sex, increase the presence of dark personality and moral disengagement mechanisms: infidelity, pornography consumption, and maintaining homosexual relationships. Infidelity and pornography consumption are characteristics present in all dimensions of dark personality. Moreover, these three variables are defining characteristics of relationships with high sadism scores. Nursing staff are possibly able to detect the presence of these variables in aggressors and thus initiate a process of victim protection. Therefore, this study proposes that nursing staff should be trained to perform this detection.

Resumen: Los profesionales de la salud son a menudo los primeros en detectar abusos. La agresión en la pareja íntima se puede abordar a partir del estudio de la personalidad del agresor. Desde esta perspectiva, la personalidad oscura y el uso de mecanismos de desconexión moral son las dos variables principales. Para ello, se recopiló información de 348 personas, casi todas mujeres, y se les aplicó un cuestionario para determinar el comportamiento de la pareja íntima: la prueba Short Dark Tetrad (SD4) para identificar la personalidad oscura y la escala Propensity to Moral Disengagement. Los datos se recopilaron a través de formularios de Google y se aplicó el análisis estadístico multivariado del árbol de decisión. Los resultados muestran cómo los hombres obtienen puntajes más altos en las variables de personalidad oscura y en el uso de mecanismos de desconexión moral. Además, la infidelidad, el consumo de pornografía, el mantenimiento de las relaciones homosexuales, la infidelidad y el consumo de pornografía se asocian con el logro de puntajes más altos en personalidad oscura y desconexión moral. Además, el mantenimiento de las relaciones homosexuales junto con la infidelidad y el consumo de pornografía son características que definen las relaciones con altas puntuaciones de sadismo cotidiano. Se estima que el equipo de enfermería puede detectar la presencia de estas variables en los agresores y así iniciar un proceso de protección a la víctima. Se propone formar al personal de enfermería para llevar a cabo esta detección.

Resumo: Os profissionais de saúde são, muitas vezes, os primeiros a detectar abusos. A agressão por parceiro íntimo pode ser abordada a partir do estudo da personalidade do agressor. Nessa perspectiva, a personalidade sombria e o uso de mecanismos de desengajamento moral são as duas principais variáveis. Para isso, foram coletadas informações de 348 pessoas, quase todas mulheres, e aplicou-lhes um questionário para determinar o comportamento do parceiro íntimo: o teste Short Dark Tetrad para identificar personalidade sombria e a escala Propensity to Moral Disengagement. Os dados foram coletados por meio de formulários do Google e a análise estatística multivariada em árvore de decisão foi aplicada. Os resultados mostram como os homens obtêm escores mais altos nas variáveis de personalidade sombria e no uso de mecanismos de desengajamento moral. Além disso, infidelidade, consumo de pornografia, manutenção de relacionamentos homossexuais, infidelidade e consumo de pornografia estão associados à obtenção de escores mais altos em personalidade sombria e desengajamento moral. Além disso, a manutenção de relacionamentos homossexuais, juntamente com a infidelidade e o consumo de pornografia, são características que definem relacionamentos com altos escores de sadismo cotidiano. Estima-se que a equipe de enfermagem possa detectar a presença dessas variáveis nos agressores e, assim, iniciar um processo de proteção à vítima. Propõe-se que a equipe de enfermagem possa ser treinada para realizar essa detecção.

Dark personality and intimate partner relationships in young adults.

People with dark personality traits tend to be unsympathetic, manipulative, and violent, and this can affect their intimate partner relationships. The objective of this research is to analyze how the presence of the dark personality traits affects young people's intimate couple relationships. Sociodemographic variables, sexual practices, and tendencies towards the partner, moral disengagement (PMD), and the dark personality traits were assessed in 308 participants, all of them aged between 18 and 25, of whom 78.3% were women and 21.2% were men. Men obtained higher scores than women both in moral disengagement and dark personality traits, as did people who were unfaithful or who consumed pornographic content, which conditions the quality of couple relationships. Consistent with this, men with higher levels of dark personality traits and higher use of a moral disengagement mechanism also presented a greater tendency towards infidelity, especially repeated infidelity. Infidelity is highly related to the presence of dark personality traits, unrestricted socio-sexuality, and having more sexual partners. These results aid in the design of interventions to prevent sexual harassment and abuse in young people and their intimate partner relationships.