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Revenge Pornography, Beyond the Screen: The Effect of Online Disinhibition and the Dark Personality

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Darren Johnson

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).

Abstract

© 2026 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. So-called “revenge pornography,” the non-consensual distribution of explicit images or videos, is a widespread and harmful online phenomenon. Despite growing research examining influential risk factors, findings remain inconsistent. The present study examined the predictive influence of Dark Triad (DT) personality traits and online disinhibition on beliefs supportive of revenge pornography. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that DT traits significantly predicted offense-supportive beliefs. Machiavellianism emerged as the strongest overall predictor, while online disinhibition contributed minimal, non-significant variance across all models. Findings suggest that DT traits, particularly Machiavellianism, influence attitudes supportive of revenge pornography. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Turner J, Tully R, Johnson D

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Journal of Forensic Psychology Research and Practice

Year: 2026

Pages: Epub ahead of print

Online publication date: 07/07/2026

Acceptance date: 02/04/2018

Date deposited: 21/07/2026

ISSN (print): 2473-2850

ISSN (electronic): 2473-2842

Publisher: Routledge

URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/24732850.2026.2697161

DOI: 10.1080/24732850.2026.2697161

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