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Why does this matter?

The world we live in is rapidly changing, and with each change comes a new challenge for us to overcome. This includes the internet, where there has been a recent rise in the prevalence of online hate groups and extremist beliefs. One such group is an online community known as incels, who have been increasingly tied to acts of violence motivated by misogyny. Young men and teen boys are uniquely vulnerable to the central ideologies of this group, but despite this, many parents are unaware of the danger their children may face in online spaces.

What we know

Within the past 10 years, there has been an increase in the number of acts of mass violence tied to individuals connected to the incel community and its foundational ideology, known as The Red Pill (TRP). The devaluation of women and the masculine ideals that form the basis of TRP are harmful to both those who are victims of these attacks, and to the incels who model themselves around impossible-to-meet standards of masculinity and success.

Research suggests that incel groups are made up of mostly men and teen boys between 18-25 years of age, which means that the first exposure to this content and mindset likely occurs well before the age of 18 for boys. This means that as early as middle school, boys are potentially exposed to an ideology that tells them that being a "real man" means mistreating women and constantly measuring themselves against an unattainable standard of manhood.

In the current digital age, ideologies like TRP can spread like wildfire, and any harm caused by groups like incels is left unchecked. Despite the very real danger posed by this community, and the National Threat Assessment Center's identification of misogynistic extremism as a threat, there is a clear lack of effective government policy or intervention to address either incels or TRP. This means that there is nothing standing between many young boys and TRP. The aim of this toolkit is to provide you, the parents, with the resources necessary to help protect your child before they are ever exposed to this group.

Acts of Violence Tied to Incels and Violent Misogyny

It is important to note that the majority of incels will never physically act out violence. The majority of the harm caused by incels and the TRP is in the form of poor social and mental health outcomes. The purpose of including these incidents of physical violence is to make it clear that these groups and mentalities have real-world consequences and to shed light on the growing issue of violent misogyny.