Why Do People Become Extremists? Behavioral Science and National Security

At The Boundary

At The Boundary
Why Do People Become Extremists? Behavioral Science and National Security
Jun 22, 2026 Season 4 Episode 136
Global and National Security Institute

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What do behavioral health, social isolation, stalking, extremism, and national security have in common?

In this episode of At the Boundary, Jim Cardoso sits down with psychiatrist and national security researcher Dr. Jacob Holzer to explore an important but not often discussed aspect of national security.

Dr. Holzer hosted a GNSI Policy Dialogue panel on the topic titled, Behavioral and Mental Health Aspects of National Security: The Invisible Front Lines with guests Mond Mugiya, Director at Control Risks and retired FBI profiler and Ryan Wagoner, MD, is the chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences at the University of South Florida. The panel will premiere on the GNSI YouTube channel later this week. 

The episode provides a sample of the intriguing panel conversation. The discussion explores the psychology of extremism, the role of social media in shaping beliefs and behaviors, the rise of digital stalking targeting public officials, and emerging research on how individuals become vulnerable to radicalization. Dr. Holzer also examines common traits that appear across insider threats, lone-actor violence, espionage, and other security challenges, while highlighting the opportunities and limitations of identifying risk before violence occurs.

Subscribe to At the Boundary for conversations on national security, defense strategy, intelligence, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, foreign policy, and the issues shaping the future of global security. Supported by discussion of social isolation, radicalization pathways, stalking of public officials, and insider threat research. 

Links from the episode:

Ours to Keep? Diego Garcia, Mauritius, the UK, the US and Security in the Indian Ocean - By Guido Rossi, PhD

How Mental Health and Behavioral Factors Shape National Security - Youtube Link

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At the Boundary  from the Global and National Security Institute at the University of South Florida,  features global and national security issues we’ve found to be insightful, intriguing, fascinating, maybe controversial, but overall just worth talking about.

A "boundary" is a place, either literal or figurative, where two forces exist in close proximity to each other. Sometimes that boundary is in a state of harmony. More often than not, that boundary has a bit of chaos baked in. The Global and National Security Institute will live on the boundary of security policy and technology and that's where this podcast will focus.

The mission of GNSI is to provide actionable solutions to 21st-century security challenges for decision-makers at the local, state, national and global levels. We hope you enjoy At the Boundary.

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