Researchers at Ohio State University have made significant progress on something we’ve all suspected for a long time: narcissism is a significant risk factor for violence.

How have researchers linked narcissism to violence?
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis, or a study looking at other studies. In this case, they combed through data from 437 studies and a total of 123,043 people.

Data has been collected from research conducted all over the world, and combined together to form a clear picture that can clearly illustrate the results.

Related: Narcissist, I Forgot To Tell You Something

The great thing about this particular examination is that there is no difference between race, gender, country, or other factors. Worldwide, narcissistic people are more prone to violence.

Why do narcissistic people tend toward violence?
The main element in narcissistic people that seems to be linked to violent behavior is entitlement. Narcissists feel entitled to things in their lives, and become upset when they don’t get them.

Whether it is a case in which someone developed the disorder without outside influence, or through a history of falling prey to the narcissistic bubble, the narcissist feels entitled to special treatment, praise, and material things because he has a greatly overestimated self-worth.

Not only that, but narcissists also have feelings of superiority over others. Not only do they deserve more because they can do better, they deserve it because they believe they are simply the best.

Sophie Kjarvik, lead author of the study, found that narcissists were more prone to violence whether they were provoked or not. But when provoked, their incidence of violence was much higher than the general population.

Related: 6 Signs You’re In Love With A Serious Narcissist

Narcissists feel humiliated or humiliated when they believe that others do not value them as much as they deserve. Because they have a very skewed view of their worth, this can happen even in circumstances where others might ignore them in a healthy way.

Unfortunately, Kjarvik says narcissists often don’t care who they’re hurting when they’re upset themselves. “Individuals high in narcissism are not particularly selective when it comes to how they attack others,” she says.

Narcissism can cause serious consequences.

One of the biggest implications of the fact that narcissists indiscriminately target innocent people is that they may be more likely to contribute to mass casualty situations, such as mass shootings. Discovering that this is a major risk factor can help prevent such incidents in the future.

But the research not only found an increase in the rate of violence, it also revealed that narcissists engaged in other harmful behaviors more often, such as bullying, and were more likely to plan and coordinate their actions in a deliberate manner.

In other words, narcissists may carefully plan their revenge when they feel insulted. It also appears where you least expect it.

As part of their research, the team looked at data from around the world. They expected to find that in a region where individualism is celebrated, such as the United States, there would be higher rates of violence linked to narcissism.

But they actually found the opposite, observing more violence in collectivist societies that encouraged social cooperation.

Narcissistic traits, not just clinical narcissism, are also linked to violence.

Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and a professor at Ohio State’s College of Communication, is keen to remind us that everyone expresses narcissistic traits from time to time.