Misogyny can turn into violence acts against not just women, but also the public. Such were the cases for “incels” (involuntary celibates), the ideological group that in simple terms can be described as lonely men who think that they’re not attractive enough to ever attract women. These men are chronically online in online forums that became somewhat of an echo chamber of their ideology, thus exacerbating the process of their radicalization before finally culminating their pent up anger on a violent killing spree.
Incels: a new threat to human security?
The term itself is not new, and its first usage was very different to what it is known for now. The involuntary celibates forum, abbreviated as incel, was initially created by a woman in the 90’s as a safe space for people who aren’t able to find dating partners. The term gradually underwent a shift in meaning into what it is now–a forum for frustrated men who cannot find a partner because they believe women are not attracted to them, mainly because of their looks. These men believe that only men who are attractive and successful can attract female partners.
Acts of terrorism fueled by misogynistic motives have been going on since the 80s, but there has been a significant rise in the past decade with the rising popularity of the incel ideology. The 2014 Isla Vista shootings, in particular, have been credited in the “incelosphere” (what the incel forums are called) as a heroic act among incels, which inspired further acts of violence against civilians. One of the most recent incel related acts of terrorism happened in August 2021 in Plymouth, England. Upon further investigation, the perpetrator was known to be active in the incelosphere and firearms forums.
The radicalization process: turning thoughts to actions
The process of radicalization can be put into the 3Ns, coined by Kruglanski, Bélanger, and Gunaratna in 2019. These Ns stand for “needs”, the personal need for certainty and significance; “narratives”, the radical narratives that justify violent extremism; and “networks”, the communities that convince them to embrace radical messages, and enact violent extremism at the end.
Most incels start from the feeling of isolation and loneliness, then jealousy towards people in happy relationships. In seeking to feel that they matter, they resort to online communities that validate their feelings. After socializing in the forums for a while and internalizing the radical beliefs, some of them reach a tipping point, premeditating violent acts that are incentivized so they gain more significance in the community.
Another study by researchers at Rutgers-Newark and Penn State-Abington suggests there is a general pipeline of the radicalization process in which incels go through. The first stage is indoctrination of incel ideology, where they use their own ideological terms unfamiliar to those outside the community. While the initial goal of incels is to “ascend” and find a female partner, many resign from their ambition and resort to advocating violence, especially against women, in protest of their seemingly terminal condition.
Deradicalization: turning extremism into moderation
Recent study suggests that the place in which the process of radicalization can start to happen, online forums, can play a role in deradicalizing incels. After all, incels are lonely men looking for someplace to belong, a community where they can share their thoughts with like minded people. Ex-incels can come together in these deradicalization forums to support each other, and offer advice to online members, further dismantling the dangerous ideology.
Though the role of community support is important, a holistic approach is needed in the process of mitigating gender based violence. First is the education at the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels in preventing harmful ideologies. The role of families and friends are also important in preventing harmful ideology and biases. Lastly, accessible mental health support for people who are prone to radicalization and those who have experienced radicalization, in the hopes that their beliefs will never escalate into violent actions.
Global attention and efforts are also needed in mitigating not just violent acts driven by the incel ideology, but also misogyny in general. It is important in identifying the root causes and combating misogyny and start educating our own families and friends who may have harmful prejudices and biases, and encourage politicians along with international and domestic bodies to act in preventing gender based violence from happening around us.
