Christopher Barry, Patricia Kerig, Kurt Stellwagen, and Tammy Barry (Eds): Narcissism and Machiavellianism in Youth: Implications for the Development of Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior

Excerpt

In Narcissism and Machiavellianism in Youth: Implications for the Development of Adaptive and Maladaptive Behavior, Christopher Barry, Patricia Kerig, Kurt Stellwagen, and Tammy Barry examine narcissism and Machiavellianism in children and adolescents, and the risks and protective steps that can be taken to limit their influence on antisocial behaviors. Noting that past research in the area has primarily focused on adults, the editors have taken on the study of narcissism and Machiavellianism in developing youths. The book pulls together a wide array of research in demonstrating that narcissism and Machiavellianism can be the root of self-centrism, entitlement, aggression and violence. Studies have found that these problems are preventable, yet this book is the first to provide a genuine, comprehensive examination of narcissism and Machiavellianism in children and adolescents. The book is divided into three sections: (1) an analysis of the risks of narcissism and Machiavellianism and the ways to combat them; (2) the study of narcissism and the effects on parenting, youths’ understanding of their behavior, and the societal difficulties that evidence has shown to follow; and lastly, (3) the study of Machiavellianism and its effects on children and adolescents. A strong positive relationship has been suggested between the onslaught of problems with peer relationships and adaptive functioning and unresolved problems in childhood and adolescence. The book illustrates that maladaptive behaviors are accompanied by the capacity to acquire adaptive traits, such as competitiveness and a sense of invulnerability, that are highly valued and essentially necessary in navigating society today (see Campbell 2001; Lapsley and Hill 2010). The editors’ purpose in the book is to examine narcissism and Machiavellianism in youths, while prescribing how parents and clinicians can better understand and meet the needs of children suffering from these constructs in a way that will better assist them, potentially leading to healthier emotional and social functioning in life. …