The Rise of the Incel Violence: A Feminist Exploration of How Incels and Incel Violence are Framed in American Counterterrorism Policies and Strategies

Abstract: In recent years incel (involuntary celibate) perpetuated violence has escalated in the United States. Incels are motivated by deeply rooted misogynistic assumptions, which dehumanises women and promotes degradation and violence towards the group. Despite evidence of escalation research shows that there still are limited perceptions of this violence as a serious threat. Drawing from ideas of feminist security theory (FST) this study conducts a feminist critical discourse analysis (FCDA) of incels in US counterterrorism policies and strategies between the years 2015-2022. It aims at answering two main questions: How are incels and incel violence framed in US counterterrorism policies and strategies? Why are they framed as such? The analysis shows a limited vocabulary and absence of language in describing incel and incel violence, suggesting that underlying power structures that prioritise certain issues over others are at work. The paper concludes that incels and incel violence are not, to a greater extent, framed as a security issue. From a FST perspective this is understood as mechanisms of different types of violence and gendered assumptions that marginalise women in security discourse and praxis.