Safeguarding: Be vigilant for signs of incel culture

“Incel” culture hit mainstream consciousness last summer with the tragic Plymouth shootings.

An incel – shorthand for involuntary celibate – is a member of an online subculture of people who define themselves as unable to get a romanticor sexual partner despite desiring one.

Incel discussion forums are often characterised by resentment and hatred, misogyny, self-pity, self-loathing, a sense of entitlement to sex, racism, and the endorsement of violence against women and sexually active people.

Like many internet wormholes these forums are riven with conspiracy theories and a complete absence of nuanced and informed debate.

Students being students, they may be intrigued by the subculture and search for information to satisfy their curiosity. For most their interest will be fleeting, but for those who have difficulty forming healthy social attachments and relationships and who have challenging personal lives it could present a real risk. For some of these students, incel culture might provide them with access to a community and a worldview that resonates and offers seemingly straightforward answers to their personal predicaments.