Narcissism and empathy in young offenders and non–offenders.
Abstract
Understanding the individual factors that predispose persons to criminal behaviour is vital to reducing offending and rehabilitating those who have been sentenced to prison. This study examined the roles of narcissism (at both clinical and subclinical trait levels) and empathy, by comparing levels in young adult males currently serving a prison sentence to those with no history of criminal convictions. Prison participants had significantly higher levels of narcissism—in particular entitlement—than control participants, and this link was sequentially mediated by lower perspective–taking and subsequently lack of empathic concern. Trait narcissism showed stronger effects than narcissistic personality disorder symptoms. Narcissistic young men's feelings of entitlement and ensuing lack of empathy for others may account for their greater likelihood of criminal behaviour. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Leaders with NPD can show both empathic issues and psychopathic, power motivated functioning, leading to illegal actions and active exploitations for personal gains.
“Leaders with NPD can show both empathic issues and psychopathic, power motivated functioning, leading to illegal actions and active exploitations for personal gains (56).”
From The dark side of empathy in narcissistic personality disorder (2023) · cites this paper as [56]
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References 55 · Cited by 143
- Authors
- Hepper, E. G., Hart, C. M., Meek, R., Cisek, S., & Sedikides, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Surrey (GB)
- University of Southampton (GB)
- Royal Holloway University of London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Hepper, Erica G.
- Venue
- European Journal of Personality
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2014-03
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 201-210
- ISSN
- 0890-2070 (ISSN-L)
- 1099-0984
- OpenAlex
- W2123206687
- Cited by
- 143
- References
- 55
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 6.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Journal of Personality (publishedVersion)
- Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (acceptedVersion)
- ePrints Soton (University of Southampton) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Keywords
- narcissism, empathy, juvenile offenders, prison sentence, entitlement, perspective taking, empathic concern, narcissistic personality traits, narcissistic personality disorder, criminal behavior, young men
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