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Psychologists Dr. Ava Green, Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at City, and Dr. Claire Hart, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Southampton, have conducted groundbreaking research exploring the intricate connection between narcissism, its origins, and its involvement in violence, marking the first detailed examination of both male and female narcissism.

Their findings, published in the journal Sex Roles, highlight the often-overlooked dimension of vulnerable narcissism in women, challenging conventional perceptions that predominantly associate narcissism with overt grandiosity in men.

Traditionally, studies on inter-partner violence have primarily focused on grandiose narcissism in men, neglecting the subtleties of vulnerable narcissism and its manifestation in women.

"There has been little research on vulnerable narcissism and on narcissism in women," Green said, Neuroscience News reported. "Part of this relates to the need to use gender-inclusive assessments of narcissism that move beyond traditional male centric frameworks. Our research addresses this gap."

The research, encompassing 328 adults, reveals distinct patterns between childhood experiences, narcissistic traits, and the perpetration of intimate partner violence. While men tend to exhibit higher levels of grandiose narcissism, women more commonly display vulnerable narcissism, which correlates with various forms of partner violence.

 "We found that grandiose narcissism in men was associated with greater perpetration of psychological partner violence, whilst vulnerable narcissism in women was linked with greater perpetration of physical, sexual, and psychological partner violence," Green noted.

"For women, recalling having a caring mother during childhood was associated with reduced levels of vulnerable narcissism and subsequent perpetration of violence toward their partner, highlighting possible buffers that can be acknowledged and integrated into intervention programmes."

Furthermore, the study delved into the realm of bullying within friendship groups, surveying 314 women.

"Higher scores on vulnerable narcissism were associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in verbal, physical, and indirect forms of bullying. Higher scores on grandiose narcissism were associated with a greater likelihood of engaging in physical or verbal bullying," Hart said.

"However, when both types of narcissism were considered simultaneously, only vulnerable narcissism emerged as a significant predictor of physical and verbal bullying, highlighting the relevance of this form of narcissism in bullying perpetration among women."

Green emphasized the importance of recognizing the nuanced expressions of narcissism in women, noting that vulnerable narcissism, aligning more closely with femininity, poses a significant risk factor for perpetuating offending behaviors.

"These findings show that narcissistic women are less likely to manifest the stereotypical expressions of grandiose narcissism that closely resemble masculine features of males in society, potentially due to fears of receiving backlash for violating feminine gender stereotypes," Green explained.

"Instead, features of vulnerable narcissism, which more closely aligns with femininity, is a greater risk marker for offending behaviours in women and, as a consequence, more likely marginalised and disregarded due to its elusive and subtle features."