Incels refers to men who believe they are unable to access consensual sexual relationships due to their perceived physical unattractiveness. The online Incel ecosystem contains violent misogynistic content, with members celebrating violence against women and societal-level attacks. This paper unpacks the ideology (framed around genetics and women’s mate selection preferences that combined lead to strict societal hierarchies) which in turn generate anti-feminist and misogynist solutions. Misogynist extremists’ relationship to violence is threefold: personal, interpersonal and societal. Some Incels (but not all) have complementary ideology, and links to, to far-right extremist groups. There are challenges responding to the ideology and in reaching this often socially isolated cohort. Recommendations include: training among professionals; design PCVE programs to reach Incels online; create alternative positive spaces for men; improve digital literacy in society.
2021