Image Based Sexual Abuse proclivity and victim blaming: The role of dark personality traits and moral disengagement

Authors

  • Afroditi Pina University of Kent
  • Alisha Bell Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP), School of Psychology, University of Kent.
  • Kimberley Griffin University of Kent
  • Eduardo A. Vasquez Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP), School of Psychology, University of Kent.

Keywords:

Image Based Sexual Abuse, IBSA, perpetrators, moral disengagement, dark tetrad, Abuso Sexual Basado en la Imagen, ASBI, infractores, desconexión moral, tétrada oscura

Abstract

Image Based Sexual Abuse (IBSA) denotes the creation, distribution, and/or threat of distribution of intimate images of another person online without their consent. The present study aims to extend emerging research on perpetration of IBSA with the development and preliminary validation for the moral disengagement in IBSA scale, while also examining the role of the dark triad, sadism, and sexism in a person’s likelihood to perpetrate IBSA. One hundred and twenty English speaking participants (76 women, 44 men; mean age=33 years) were recruited via social media. Machiavellianism and psychopathy were found to predict IBSA proclivity, whilst rivalry narcissism predicted greater feelings of excitement and amusement towards IBSA. Moral disengagement predicted IBSA proclivity and blaming the victim. It was also positively related to greater feelings of amusement and excitement towards IBSA. This suggests a distinct personality profile of IBSA perpetrators, and that moral disengagement mechanisms play a role in facilitating and reinforcing this behaviour.

El abuso sexual basado en la imagen (ASBI) describe la creación, distribución y/o amenaza de distribución en Internet de imágenes íntimas de otra persona sin su consentimiento. Este estudio pretende extender la investigación emergente sobre la comisión de ASBI con el desarrollo y validación preliminar de la separación moral en la escala ASBI, al tiempo que se examina el papel de la tríada oscura, el sadismo y el sexismo en la probabilidad de que una persona cometa ASBI. Se reclutó mediante redes sociales a 120 participantes de habla inglesa (76 mujeres, 44 hombres, edad promedio de 33 años). Se concluyó que la personalidad maquiavélica y la psicopatía pueden predecir la proclividad de cometer ASBI, mientras que el narcisismo de rivalidad predecía mayores sentimientos de emoción y diversión hacia el ASBI. La desconexión moral predecía la proclividad al ASBI y la culpabilización de la víctima. También estaba positivamente relacionada con mayores sentimientos de diversión y emoción hacia el ASBI. Esto insinúa un perfil de personalidad concreto de las personas que cometen ASBI, así como que los mecanismos de desconexión moral desempeñan un papel a la hora de facilitar y reforzar esa conducta.

Available from: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl/0000-0000-0000-1213

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Author Biographies

Afroditi Pina, University of Kent

Dr Afroditi Pina is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Forensic Psychology and a member of the Centre of Research and Education in Forensic Psychology (CORE-FP) at the University of Kent. Her primary research interests include sexual violence against women and men, including rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment. She has been a data collection manager in research evaluating the mandatory use of the Polygraph as a means for managing offenders in the community for the Ministry of Justice, as well as examining the use and exposure to pornography of young people and children for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner. Her recent research focuses on online social media use and antisocial behaviours, including cyber-harassment, image based sexual abuse and cybercrime. 

 

ORCID: 0000-0001-8850-5625

Kimberley Griffin, University of Kent

Kimberley Griffin holds an MSc in Forensic Psychology from the University of Kent and currently works as an Advanced KERS Worker (Kent Enablement Recovery Service) at Kent County Council

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Published

01-10-2021

How to Cite

Pina, A., Bell, A., Griffin, K. and Vasquez, E. (2021) “Image Based Sexual Abuse proclivity and victim blaming: The role of dark personality traits and moral disengagement”, Oñati Socio-Legal Series, 11(5), pp. 1179–1197. Available at: https://opo.iisj.net/index.php/osls/article/view/1183 (Accessed: 19 April 2024).

Issue

Vol. 11 No. 5 (2021): Youth violence: De-escalation strategies and socio-legal responses

Section

Thematic Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2021 Afroditi Pina, Alisha Bell, Kimberley Griffin, Eduardo A. Vasquez

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