Interrogating the “incel menace”: assessing the threat of male supremacy in terrorism studies

Abstract

Her research interests include platform governance, online hate groups, race and gender, digital culture, and social justice and technology.Megan Kelly is a PhD student in Gender Studies at the University of Basel. Her research examines "red pill" and "black pill" radicalization narratives and identity formation in male supremacist communities.DeCook and Kelly are both fellows with the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism. Interrogating the "Incel Menace": Assessing the Threat of Male Supremacy in Terrorism StudiesFollowing a series of deadly attacks, but particularly since 2014, incels have entered not only the public lexicon but piqued scholarly interest, especially with terrrorism studies scholars and CVE programs. However, much of the current analyses largely interpret incel communities as homogenous, and in doing so ignore the complex and often contradictory nature of incel communities. CVE recommendations made by these scholars are founded on these misconceptions of incel identity and community. Through a critical feminist lens, in this essay we argue that the focus on incels should rather be pointed to understanding the role of male supremacy, antifeminism, and misogyny in society. Additionally, we argue against the trend of attempting to classify and securitize "incels" as a unique form of misogynistic violence, and identify the dangers of a lack of focus on male supremacy.

Incels: An Introduction for Mental Health Clinicians

“…Feminist and other criminology researchers instead view incel-related violence on a continuum with commonplace misogynistic and less “exceptional” violence such as domestic and interpersonal violence. This stance argues against classifying incel violence as a unique form of violent extremism, noting that doing so obfuscates the core structural problem of social and cultural systems founded on misogyny and sexual entitlement and ignores decades of research on gender-based violence 35 . Such measures do not address the underlying violence of hegemonic masculinity, which could begin to be addressed through the lens of gender justice pedagogy 36 …”

Involuntary Celibacy: A Review of Incel Ideology and Experiences with Dating, Rejection, and Associated Mental Health and Emotional Sequelae

“…That incels both lionize and chastise the perpetrators of these violent offenses in their online forums makes it difficult to attach the terrorism label as it does not align with more traditional, organized terrorist groups that collectively organize such attacks [11,14]. Others claim that the incel ideology is simply an amplification of current societal beliefs and that use of the terrorist label is both erroneous and counterproductive [15].…”

Misogynistic Extremism: A Scoping Review

“…Yet, other scholars dispute this claim, noting that the major components of the incel worldview are indeed those that are present in other extremist worldviews, and that some incels may rationalize violence as a natural reaction against what they interpret as male oppression (S. J. Baele et al, 2021; DeCook & Kelly, 2022; O’Malley et al, 2020). Tomkinson et al (2020) advocate for the securitization of misogynistic violence, specifically in terms of incels, arguing that without securitization “political interventions against misogynistic violence will be next to impossible” (p. 152).…”

“…Bates argues that governments should begin “monitoring, legislating for, and tackling” misogynist extremism in the same manner as “other forms of terrorism” (p. 298). DeCook and Kelly (2022) argue against “classifying and securitising the ‘incel’ movement as a unique and extraordinary form of misogynistic violence” (p. 1). They posit that the true threat lies in the deeply embedded social structures that promote misogyny and heteropatriarchy.…”