Psychological Security as an Approach to Enhancing National Security and Confronting Extremist Ideology among Youth

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the role of psychological security in enhancing national security and countering extremist ideology among Libyan youth. It also sought to identify differences in attitudes toward extremist ideology attributable to educational level and to examine the predictive contribution of psychological security to attitudes toward extremist ideology among youth.
The study adopted a descriptive correlational and comparative research design. The sample consisted of 250 Libyan young men and women aged 18–30 years, with a mean age of 23.84 years (SD = 3.71). To achieve the objectives of the study, the researcher administered the Psychological Security Scale and the Attitudes toward Extremist Ideology Scale.
The findings revealed a statistically significant negative correlation between psychological security and extremist ideology, indicating that higher levels of psychological security were associated with lower levels of extremist attitudes among Libyan youth. The results also showed statistically significant differences in attitudes toward extremist ideology according to educational level, with individuals possessing lower educational qualifications exhibiting higher levels of extremist attitudes. This suggests that lower levels of education and cultural awareness increase young people's vulnerability to recruitment into extremist ideologies. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that psychological security significantly and negatively predicted attitudes toward extremist ideology, highlighting its importance as a psychological protective factor that contributes to strengthening national security and preventing ideological extremism among youth.