Connecting members

Following the launch of the BPS all-member online community, Member Connect on the Circle platform, the section now has plans for a community area of its own on the platform.

The new community area, which is due to launch later this year, will be exclusive to Defence and Security Psychology members.

The community will be a space for section members to connect with each other, ask questions and share resources.

Talks about a section-specific online community were first raised last year following a survey of members in which 65 per cent of respondents indicated they were interested in a member connect community just for section members.

"So we hope this is really welcome news to you all," said Simon Bowyer, section chair.

"Following the survey we agreed to create an online community. Just as we were nearing plans to do that, the platform the BPS was using was discontinued. We're now in discussions about creating an online community on the Circle platform for members of our section.

"We're excited about the plans. The platform will give the committee a faster way to share news and updates with members as Circle allows for real-time posts and conversations. Members can ask questions, share ideas, and stay updated on section news and information."

Other survey findings

The section survey also found that most respondents were interested in attending online section conferences (74 per cent), online workshops (73 per cent) and the section's in-person conference (64 per cent). 

Respondents said their main reasons for joining the section were to network with other defence and security psychology professionals (60 per cent), followed by to access relevant research (49 per cent) and to receive publications/newsletters about defence and security psychology (47 per cent).

Annual conference: an opportunity to network and learn

One of the key ways for members to network is through the section's annual conference, which also provides a 'unique learning experience'. Submissions are open for the 2025 event, which as always features 'insights from renowned keynote speakers, practical applications of psychology in defence and security, and the perspectives of practitioners, researchers and academics working in the area'.

While overall engagement with the section appears to be low, over half of survey respondents (58 per cent) said they would like to receive updates from the section once a month.

Full survey findings

 Defence and Security member survey 2024 full findings