Juvenile Delinquency and Dark Personality Patterns in Turkey: A Review of the Biopsychosocial Foundations of Machiavellianism, Narcissism, and Psychopathy

Juvenile delinquency is not merely a category of legal infraction; it is the product of complex interactions among biological predispositions, psychological development, and social structure. This review examines how the dark personality patterns known as the Dark Triad—namely Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy—take shape during childhood; how genetic predispositions, epigenetic mechanisms, early-life trauma, and Turkey-specific sociocultural pressures contribute to this process; and what multilevel interventions are necessary to reduce delinquency in children. Rather than interpreting the determinants of dark personality characteristics within a deterministic biologism framework, the article employs a gene–environment interaction model. Turkey-specific dynamics, including power culture, authoritarian parenting, chronic economic stress, and the narcissistic reinforcement function of social media, are examined within a rigorous scientific framework. The article concludes by proposing an integrative approach that combines neurobiology, developmental psychology, sociology, and public policy in order to understand childhood delinquency.

Dark Triad; juvenile delinquency; epigenetics; trauma; power culture; Turkey; dark personality; child antisocial behaviour

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