Blog
Reflections on the Independent Review of Prevent
February 15, 2023
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 ...
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#Jailbait and “In a videogame ofc”: Transgression and violent talk as community building in the incelosphere
February 8, 2023
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 ...
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The Violent Incel Movement
December 8, 2021
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 ...
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Incel Culture: What We’ve Learned From Investigating Plymouth Attacker’s Digital Footprint
September 1, 2021
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 ...
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The National Security Implications of Extreme Misogyny
April 8, 2020
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 ...
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Violent Misogyny, Mass Murder and Suicide: It’s Time to Save Incels from Themselves
October 9, 2019
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 ...