Incels views on crime : A study about how users on an incel forum justify their views on sexual and violent crime

Abstract: Through a netnographic qualitative research, an incel forum is analyzed in this study using a thematic analysis to investigate users on the incel forum and their views on sexual and violent crime. By using Sykes and Matza's (1957) techniques of neutralization, this study shows how the users on the forum may justify their positive views on violent and sexual crime. Two main themes were identified and deemed interesting and relevant to this study's research questions. The first main theme Society consists of two sub themes, Anti-modern society and Against feminism and women’s rights. The second main theme Violence consists of the three sub themes Revenge, Praises, glorifies and normalizes violence and Rape and violence is their only option. This study, as well as previous research, shows that users on incel forums tend to be very misogynistic and that they often praise, glorify, normalize and advocate violence towards people or social groups they dislike, for example women or men who are more successful in having relationships with women. The findings in this study also shows that users on the incel forum regularly seem to be seeking societal change because they don't agree with feminism and women's rights in modern society. Therefore, they seek change or revenge through violence, since this is the only way they believe they can achieve this. The users on the forum also seem to think that sexual harassment or rape is the only way they can get physically close to women, and that this combined with their misogynistic view justifies the sexual crime they discuss.