Dr. Randy Borum is a Professor in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences at the University of South Florida, where he holds a joint appointment the College of Public Health. Prior to joining USF, he served on the faculty of the Duke University School of Medicine. He has served on the DNI's Intelligence Science Board (ISB), on the Defense Science Board Task Force on Understanding Human Dynamics, and on the National Academy of Sciences' Steering Committee for Sociocultural Data to Accomplish Department of Defense Missions . As a behavioral scientist and Board-Certified Forensic Psychologist researching national and global security issues, he regularly teaches and consults with law enforcement agencies, the Intelligence Community, and DoD, and has authored/ co- authored more than 140 professional publications. Dr. Borum has been an instructor with the BJA State & Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) Program since 1999, and worked as a Senior Consultant to the U.S. Secret Service for more than a decade helping to develop, refine and study behavior-based protocols for threat assessment and protective intelligence. He has previously served as a sworn police officer, Forensic Coordinator for a regional state psychiatric facility, and as full-time faculty at He has taught at the FBI Academy, FLETC; JFK Special Warfare Center and School (Ft. Bragg); Joint Special Operations University; CIA; and the US Army Intelligence Center and School (Ft. Huachuca). He was Principal Investigator on the "Psychology of Terrorism" initiative for an agency in the US Intelligence Community. He serves as an advisor to the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit-1 (Threat Assessment & National Security), the National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), the FLETC Behavioral Science Division, and is listed on the United Nations' Roster of Experts in Terrorism. Dr. Borum is a Past-President of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology, and currently serves as Senior Editor of the Journal of Strategic Security, and on the editorial boards of the American Intelligence Journal; Behavioral Sciences & the Law and Red Team Journal (online). Performance in High-Risk Encounters: Another facet of Dr, Borum's professional interest lies in improving human performance under stress, particularly in high risk and threatening encounters. In the mid-1980s he began applying principles of motor learning and behavior (and sport psychology) to enhance police officers' performance in high-risk situations,and taught courses on "Performance Under Stress" at the police academy. He has since become a Certified Sport Psychologist (National Institute of Sports Professionals), and has held NSCA certification as a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Copper-Level (Intro) Coaching certification with USA Wrestling. He has written a monthly sport psychology column for Black Belt Magazine, and has consulted with elite level combat sport athletes, special operations personnel in the military and law enforcement. You can find some related articles in the section titled: "Performance Psychology."
1. Terrorism & Violent Extremism
Seven Pillars of Small War Power, Military Review (2011)
We may need to modify our traditional “center of gravity” analysis to accommodate multiple centers...
Radicalization into Violent Extremism I: A Review of Social Science Theories, Journal of Strategic Security (2011)
In discourse about countering terrorism, the term "radicalization" is widely used, but remains poorly defined....
Radicalization into Violent Extremism II: A Review of Conceptual Models and Empirical Research, Journal of Strategic Security (2011)
Over the past decade, analysts have proposed several frameworks to explain the process of radicalization...
Rethinking Radicalization, Journal of Strategic Security (2011)
Efforts to focus on radicalization and radical ideologies in order to get ahead of the...
2. Police & Military Operational Psychology
The Science of Interpersonal Trust (2010)
Interpersonal trust - a willingness to accept vulnerability or risk based on expectations regarding another...
Insights from Past Experience with Human Dynamics in Military Operations, Understanding Human Dynamics (2009)
Interview and Interrogation: A Perspective and Update from the USA (with Michael Gelles and Steven Kleinman), International Developments in Investigative Interviewing (2009)
With a renewed interest in, and reliance on, human intelligence (HUMINT), an opportunity exists for...
Behavioral Science Guidelines for Assessing Insider Threats (with Denise Bulling, Mario Scalora, Jill Panuzio, and Andrew Donica), Publications of the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center (2008)
This brochure presents a framework to view threats made by an insider that are targeted...
Approaching Truth: Behavioral Science Lessons on Educing Information from Human Sources, Educing information: Science and art in interrogation - Foundations for the future. Intelligence Science Board Study on Educing Information Phase 1 Report (2006)
3. Threat Assessment & Violence Risk - GENERAL
Profiling hazards: Profiling in counterterrorism and homeland security, Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Reports (2003)
Assessing violence risk in Tarasoff situations: A fact-based model of inquiry, Behavioral Sciences & the Law (2001)
Preventing targeted violence against judicial officials and courts (with Bryan Vossekuil, Robert Fein, and Marisa Reddy), The Annals of AAPS (2001)
Improving the clinical practice of violence risk assessment: Technology, guidelines and training, American Psychologist (1996)
4. Juvenile Violence Risk
What Can Be Done About School Shootings?: A Review of the Evidence (with Dewey Cornell, William Modzeleski, and Shane Jimerson), EDUCATIONAL RESEARCHER (2010)
School shootings have generated great public concern and fostered a widespread impression that schools are...
Evaluation of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System (with Randy Otto), Handbook of Forensic Psychology (2004)
Managing at risk juvenile offenders in the community: Putting evidence based principles into practice, Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice (2003)
5. Law Enforcement & Behavioral Health
Crisis Intervention Teams may prevent arrests of people with mental illnesses (with Stephanie Franz), Police Practice and Research (2010)
Historically, as many as 7–10% of US police contacts have involved persons with mental illnesses,...
Crisis Intervention Teams (CIT): Considerations for knowledge transfer (with Larry Thompson), Law Enforcement Executive Forum (2006)
Police training and specialized approaches for responding to people with mental illnesses, Crime & Delinquency (2003)
Comparing outcomes of major models of police responses to mental health emergencies, Psychiatric Services (2000)
OBJECTIVE: The study compared three models of police responses to incidents involving people thought to...