The role of narcissism in driving Ariel Castor’s notorious Cleveland kidnappings, and the effect his actions had on his second victim, Amanda Berry

Abstract

Narcissistic personality disorder, one of several types of personality disorders, is a mental condition in which people have an exaggerated sense of their own importance, an intense need for attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others. What some people don’t know, however, is that narcissists can be very dangerous. Especially when ego-threatened, narcissists display extreme acts of violence such as abuse, torture, rape, and even murder. There are numerous cases of dangerous narcissists. One of the worst cases is the Cleveland kidnappings carried out by Ariel Castro from 2001 to 2013. Ariel Castro kidnapped three women and held them captive for a span of 10 years. During which they experienced multiple acts of torture and abuse, such as beatings and starvation. Castro was diagnosed with a narcissistic personality disorder with antisocial features. The following journal displays the role played by his narcissism in his violent actions while also covering the effects it might have had on his victims.