Les dimensions du narcissisme et de l’estime de soi comme prédicteurs de l’agression en lien avec la violence conjugale

Abstract

Intimate partner violence is a major public health problem. Psychological characteristics associated with it, however, remain to be clarified. The present study examined the value of different dimensions of narcissism and self-esteem as predictors of aggression among male perpetrators of intimate partner violence. Forty-five males, court-referred to a service agency for treatment of intimate partner violence, were recruited. Multiple regression analysis revealed that vulnerable narcissism and self-esteem instability have better predictive power than the traditional dimensions of self-esteem level and grandiose narcissism. The implications of these findings for the evaluation and treatment of intimate partner violence are discussed.