AUTHOR=Huang Yongqi , Gan Xiong , Jin Xin , Rao Shijie , Guo Binbin , He Zijian , Wei Zixu 

TITLE=The relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying among Chinese adolescents: the role of social exclusion and sense of control

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173860

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1173860

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Abundant evidence has proved the association between the Dark Triad and bullying. However, the underlying mechanisms of this relationship are still not fully understood. Based on the temporal need-threat model, three studies were designed to explore the mediating role of social exclusion and sense of control in this research.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>In study 1 we recruited 571 Chinese adolescents (<italic>M</italic><sub>age</sub> = 14.53, <italic>SD</italic> = 0.716) to participate in a cross-sectional study. And two experiments were respectively designed in Study 2 (<italic>N</italic> = 88) and Study 3 (<italic>N</italic> = 102) to verify the effects of real and cyber social exclusion on adolescent bullying behavior.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Study 1 showed that social exclusion and sense of control would play the serial mediating role in the relationship between the Dark Triad and bullying (except social exclusion as a mediator between the Dark Triad and cyberbullying). Study 2 and 3  showed that adolescents with high Dark Triad show lower sense of control and more bullying behavior after experiencing social exclusion.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>These findings extend the research on the Dark Triad and bullying by providing a solid empirical foundation and intervention strategies to avoid bullying so that the problem can be rationally and scientifically approached.</p></sec>