melanie boling

The Hidden Toll of Toxic Leadership on Military Minds and Families: A Neuroscientific and Psychological Perspective | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Hidden Toll of Toxic Leadership on Military Minds and Families: A Neuroscientific and Psychological Perspective | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Objective. This paper examines the neurobiological and psychological consequences of toxic leadership in the U.S. military for service members, spouses, and children.

Method. Drawing upon neuroscience, psychology, and epidemiological data—including Department of Defense suicide reports and Family Advocacy Program statistics—this review synthesizes evidence of chronic stress, moral injury, family dysfunction, and intergenerational trauma caused by destructive command climates.

Results. Toxic leadership disrupts hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis regulation, heightens amygdala threat reactivity, reduces prefrontal control, and damages hippocampal integrity. Service members experience depression, anxiety, suicidality, and physical illness. Spouses suffer secondary traumatic stress, somatic illness, and suicide risk. Children endure disrupted attachment, altered neural development, and epigenetic vulnerability. Epidemiological data demonstrate the scope: 523 service-member suicides in 2023, 146 family-member suicides in 2022, 8,298 documented domestic abuse cases in 2023, and more than 500 intimate partner violence–related homicides and suicides between 2012 and 2022.

Conclusion. Toxic leadership is a systemic health hazard, comparable in severity to combat trauma. Addressing it requires leadership accountability, trauma-informed family support, and recognition of its intergenerational consequences.

Keywords: toxic leadership, moral injury, HPA axis, military families, neuroscience, intergenerational trauma

Betrayal Trauma, Perpetrator Psychology, and Witness-Survivor Resilience: A Case Study of Father Norbert J. Maday in the Chicago Archdiocese | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Betrayal Trauma, Perpetrator Psychology, and Witness-Survivor Resilience: A Case Study of Father Norbert J. Maday in the Chicago Archdiocese | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Clergy-perpetrated sexual abuse (CPSA) is uniquely harmful because it fuses interpersonal violation with the betrayal of sacred authority and institutional trust. This paper examines the case of Father Norbert J. Maday, a Chicago Archdiocese priest convicted of sexually abusing minors, as a lens to explore perpetrator psychology, betrayal trauma theory, and the neuropsychological and psychological sequelae of abuse. The analysis emphasizes the underexamined population of “witness-survivors”: children who resisted inappropriate advances, observed abusive behaviors, or voiced concerns, but were dismissed or punished by family and parish staff. Maday’s behavioral profile demonstrates grooming, cognitive distortions, narcissistic entitlement, antisocial tendencies, and moral disengagement, all reinforced by institutional silence. Survivors—including witnesses—show classic betrayal trauma responses, including HPA axis dysregulation, amygdala hyperactivation, hippocampal alterations, and prefrontal suppression.

Cuffing Season, Cluster B Personality Dynamics, and the Predatory Risks to Mental Health | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cuffing Season, Cluster B Personality Dynamics, and the Predatory Risks to Mental Health | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Cuffing season—the tendency for individuals to seek romantic partnerships during colder months—has been trivialized as a cultural quirk. However, for survivors of toxic relationships, this period represents a heightened risk of re-engagement with manipulative partners, particularly those with Cluster B personality traits (narcissistic, borderline, histrionic, and antisocial). This paper explores the neurobiological and psychological vulnerabilities that emerge during cuffing season, outlines the predatory behaviors characteristic of Cluster B individuals, and analyzes why no-contact boundaries are essential for preventing cognitive, emotional, and neurobiological harm. By synthesizing findings from neuroscience and psychopathology, the paper reframes cuffing season as a psychologically hazardous cycle rather than a harmless social phenomenon.

The Effects of Women Enablers and the Perpetuation of Cluster B Personality Disorder Abuse | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Women Enablers and the Perpetuation of Cluster B Personality Disorder Abuse | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, and psychopathology, we explore how the dysregulated brain circuits of Cluster B individuals (including hyperactivation of the amygdala, hypoactivity in the prefrontal cortex, and disruptions in the mirror neuron system) interact with the psychological vulnerabilities of enablers. Neurobiological stress responses in victims, including chronic dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and maladaptive fear conditioning, are analyzed as mechanisms by which enablers inadvertently reinforce maladaptive behaviors.

We also consider the dynamics of institutional betrayal, particularly in law enforcement and organizational settings, where women in enabling roles may normalize, minimize, or dismiss abuse. This interdisciplinary synthesis emphasizes the need for a paradigm shift in both clinical and societal responses to Cluster B-related abuse, recognizing enablers as critical actors in maintaining cycles of harm.

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

The Effects of Malignant Narcissism in Extreme Environments on Brain and Behavior | Melanie Boling, Boling Expeditionary Research

Malignant narcissism (MN) describes a syndromal configuration at the severe end of pathological narcissism that combines narcissistic personality pathology with antisocial features, ego‑syntonic aggression/sadism, and paranoid tendencies. In isolated, confined, and extreme (ICE) settings—e.g., combat units, polar stations, undersea habitats, and spacecraft—MN traits pose outsized risks to team safety, mission performance, and ethical decision‑making.

“Anything of value is worth the effort””
— Melanie Boling