The Dark Side of Being Connected: Image-Based Sexual Exploitation, Dark Personality Traits, and Coercion Perceptions

Abstract

Technology use has brought about the perpetration of both sexting coercion and image-based sexual abuse (which includes sharing or threat of sharing someone's intimate image). This study sought to examine the association between the Dark Tetrad, propensity to morally disengage, and the perpetration of sexting coercion and image-based sexual abuse. As well, this study then examined how those variables influence how someone perceives online coercion, when relationship type and coercion tactic are altered. With a sample of 1467 university students (72% women; 74% heterosexual), higher psychopathy, sadism, or narcissism scores was associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating image-based sexual abuse. For sexting coercion, identifying as a man, and higher narcissism scores were associated with an increased likelihood of perpetrating sexting coercion. Scoring higher in psychopathy, sadism, and narcissism were predictive of having a higher propensity to morally disengage. Examining coerciveness perceptions from the vignettes, being a woman and not having perpetrated sexting coercion were predictive of rating the vignettes more coercive and being higher in moral disengagement propensity was predictive of rating the vignettes less coercive. There was no interaction between relationship type and coercion tactic and no main effect for relationship type but was a main effect for coercion tactic. The threaten tactic was associated with a mean "Coercion" score 7.71 points higher than the hinting tactic. This study has implications regarding who may be more likely to perpetrate image-based sexual abuse or sexting coercion and what factors may influence perceptions of online coercion. This study also showed that the general aggression model appears to be a valid theory to explain image-based sexual abuse and sexting coercion perpetration.

Behind Closed Doors: Attitudes, Dark Traits, and Perceptions of Intimate Partner Sexual Violence

“…The majority of the scales exhibited good internal reliability (αs > .80); however, the FFMI-SSF (α = .56) and FFNI-SSF (α = .68) both exhibited lower internal reliabilities. The FFNI-SSF alpha value of .68 has been documented as being within the normal range for this scale (Packer-West et al, 2021) and similar values for both the FFNI-SSF and the FFMI-SSF have been documented in another study (Swanek, 2022). Both scales had 15 items; therefore, caution should be taken when interpreting the results of Machiavellianism and narcissism in the results of the tests.…”

“…Therefore, the vignettes were presented in a between-subjects design and described either a heterosexual couple with a male perpetrator and female survivor, a heterosexual couple with a female perpetrator and a male survivor, a homosexual couple where both the perpetrator and the survivor are male, and a homosexual couple where both the perpetrator and the survivor are female. The decision to utilize a betweensubjects design is based on previous research designs evaluating similar constructs as the current study (e.g., Pozzulo et al, 2010;Sommer et al, 2016;Sleath & Bull, 2010;Stanziani et al, 2018;Swanek, 2022). After reading the vignette, participants answered three questions on a 5-point Likert scale (Appendix B) to gauge their perceptions, these questions were: In your opinion, how serious is this (1 (Not at all serious) to 5 (Very serious))?…”