‘Incels’ under scrutiny: A study exposes the community of men who demand sex and hate women

In 2018, 25-year-old Canadian Alex Minassian carried out a deadly rampage that left 10 people dead and injured 16 others. Shortly before carrying out the attack, he posted a message on social media that drew widespread attention: “The Incel rebellion has begun.”

To fully understand the term incel—short for involuntarily celibate—it is necessary to go back to the 1990s, when a movement emerged to create a stigma-free environment where people struggling with maintaining sexual relationships could share their feelings. The community avoided violent rhetoric and sought to eliminate taboos, including those surrounding virginity. However, what originally began three decades ago as a harmless initiative has since evolved into a misogynistic subculture that is drawing increasing attention from both the scientific community and the media.

The Conflict and Human Security research group at the University of Córdoba has recently published one of the most comprehensive reviews to date on this phenomenon. The study, published in Aggression and Violent Behavior, synthesizes the recent scientific literature on the topic and offers an empirical analysis aimed at deepening our understanding of the movement’s causes, consequences, and social dynamics.

Although the incel phenomenon is somewhat more heterogeneous than it might initially appear, its members—mainly young heterosexual men—share several core beliefs. They view sex as a fundamental right that is denied to them as a result of female empowerment and blame women for their inability to have relationships. They also argue that only men who conform to heteronormative standards of masculinity are considered attractive and regard sex as a transactional act devoid of emotional ties. This combination of beliefs fosters a toxic environment in which incels’ frustration is transformed into a misogynistic worldview that casts women as objects of hatred.

A language of their own that dehumanizes

As the study shows, language plays a fundamental role in constructing this ideological framework, with incels relying on a distinct lexicon that dehumanizes others and reinforces their narratives. “This terminology serves as a pretext for attacking others without guilt—for provoking a moral and emotional disconnection that justifies hate speech,” explains Reyes Rodríguez, a doctoral student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Córdoba.

Within this linguistic framework, women are labeled as femoids (female humanoids), Stacys are women perceived as sexually successful, and Chads are physically attractive men at the top of the male hierarchy; an alpha male figure incels resent and see as part of the problem.

The study examines several derogatory terms used to refer to women, including cattle, viper, roast beef, and sperm containers. These expressions are widely used on social media and online forums, which are central to understanding this phenomenon. According to the systematic review, such forums function as echo chambers: virtual spaces that validate and reinforce incels’ collective identity. In these environments, algorithms do not mitigate the issue; rather, they amplify incels’ beliefs, mirror their worldview, and promote content that deepens their perceptions and furthers their radicalization.

A mental health problem?

The study, which reviews more than 80 scientific articles published since 2017, offers several important conclusions: beyond examining these social dynamics, it is essential to address the mental health issues that may be driving the phenomenon. Indeed, the study presents striking findings: incels report feelings of loneliness and rejection, low self-esteem, limited social support, and higher rates of psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Notably, only 15% say they feel better after undergoing therapy.

There are several possible reasons why psychological interventions often fail with this group, notes Miguel Ángel Maldonado, co-director of the research. “When someone with such a deeply rooted ideology goes to therapy, they expect their beliefs to be validated, which doesn’t happen. Moreover, many of these individuals see the problem as residing in society rather than within themselves,” the researcher explains.

In addition to reviewing the existing research on this topic, the study seeks to identify knowledge gaps—areas requiring further investigation to advance our understanding of the phenomenon. According to the research team, several key issues require attention. Among the most pressing are the development of new approaches to psychosocial intervention, the creation of reliable methods for directly assessing incels, and the design of strategies to curb their influence in cyberspace. Although these avenues are yet to be fully explored, they all converge on a central question: How can we dismantle hatred?