by Arie Perliger One of the most favorable habits of scholars of terrorism is self-reflection on their field. Numerous op-eds and articles are published every year, striving to reflect on the development and challenges in terrorism studies and assess which future topics will be the most promising and policy-relevant. Such summaries, however, usually expose some…
incels
by Ye Bin Won and Meghan Conroy In 2014, the Post reported on a study that found that almost 60% of Americans surveyed admitted that they did not watch, read, or hear any news stories beyond the headlines in the previous week. A few years later, the Post reported on another study that found that…
By Andrew Whiting First announced in January 2019, last week saw the publication of the long-awaited independent review of Prevent led by Lord Shawcross. Prevent is controversial and this review has had its own controversies. The review’s original lead was replaced after legal challenge and the subsequent appointment of Shawcross led to a boycott…
by Greta Jasser Incel forums are online spaces with little to no moderation against violent and harmful speech. Yet, despite the almost non-existent community guidelines, users aim to debate, break or circumvent them, as transgression and violent talk are central to the community that formed in these spaces. The term incel is a shorthand for ‘involuntarily…
By Christian Vorre Mogensen Incels – people living in ‘Inceldom’ – define themselves by their inability to engage in romantic or sexual relations, despite strong wishes to do so. A true Incel is someone who has not, and never will, engage in any such activities or relationships. People referring to themselves as Incels are mostly…
By Blyth Crawford and Florence Keen In the wake of a mass shooting in Plymouth, England, fresh questions are being asked about incel culture and whether crimes committed by its adherents should be considered terrorism. Jake Davison went on a shooting spree in his hometown, killing five people, including his mother, before taking his own life. As part…
By Elise Thomas Online radicalisation has been a significant point of focus for the national security community in recent years. Much of this attention has been directed, rightly, at the risks posed by Islamic extremism, far-right extremism and white supremacist movements. However, far less attention has been paid to an equally dangerous and arguably more…
Incels are a danger to society and to themselves. Technology has made the problem worse, but it can also help fix it. Involuntary celibates, or incels, believe that a socio-genetic conspiracy theory is preventing them from having sexual relationships with women. Denied their right to sex because society has deemed them unworthy, some of their…
