No Cover Image

Journal article 987 views 89 downloads

The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates

William Costello, Joe Whittaker Orcid Logo, Andrew Thomas Orcid Logo

Archives of Sexual Behavior, Volume: 54, Issue: 5, Pages: 1815 - 1836

Swansea University Authors: William Costello, Joe Whittaker Orcid Logo, Andrew Thomas Orcid Logo

  • 67166.VoR.pdf

    PDF | Version of Record

    © The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

    Download (1.73MB)

Check full text

DOI (Published version): 10.1007/s10508-025-03161-y

Abstract

Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture of men who form their identity around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. This community operates almost exclusively online, often serving as an outlet for misogynistic hostility. Concerns about violence from incels...

Full description

Published in: Archives of Sexual Behavior
ISSN: 0004-0002 1573-2800
Published: Springer Nature 2025
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa67166
first_indexed 2024-09-16T14:42:29Z
last_indexed 2025-07-19T04:43:22Z
id cronfa67166
recordtype SURis
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?><rfc1807><datestamp>2025-07-18T15:36:33.2607493</datestamp><bib-version>v2</bib-version><id>67166</id><entry>2024-07-24</entry><title>The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates</title><swanseaauthors><author><sid>e0d81929917163f850de7ea654435685</sid><firstname>William</firstname><surname>Costello</surname><name>William Costello</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>112ed59957393e783f913443ec80faab</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-7342-6369</ORCID><firstname>Joe</firstname><surname>Whittaker</surname><name>Joe Whittaker</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author><author><sid>a43308ae6d7f5b8d5ab0daff5b832a96</sid><ORCID>0000-0001-5251-7923</ORCID><firstname>Andrew</firstname><surname>Thomas</surname><name>Andrew Thomas</name><active>true</active><ethesisStudent>false</ethesisStudent></author></swanseaauthors><date>2024-07-24</date><abstract>Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture of men who form their identity around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. This community operates almost exclusively online, often serving as an outlet for misogynistic hostility. Concerns about violence from incels have positioned them as a growing (inter)national security threat. This study, the largest primary investigation of incel harmful attitudes and beliefs to date (N = 561), recruited participants from the United States and the United Kingdom with a mean age of 26. Consistent with previous research, the sample showed ethnic and political diversity, poor mental health, high levels of suicidality and autistic traits. Using a 3N (needs, networks, and narratives) informed theoretical framework, our pathway analysis revealed that poor mental health and ideological adherence were twice as predictive of harmful attitudes and beliefs (e.g., displaced aggression, hostile sexism, and justification of violence) compared to networking, with a bidirectional effect between poor mental health and ideology. We also found two distinct indirect pathways to harmful attitudes and beliefs among incels: one involving experiential vulnerabilities (e.g., autism traits, low mate value, and histories of bullying and abuse) and the other rooted in dispositional traits (e.g., the dark triad and right-wing political orientation), leading us to propose the Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm. These findings suggest that interventions targeting mental health and ideology may be more effective than those focusing solely on online networking. Implications for intervention strategies, informed by these theoretical models, are discussed, including date coaching, therapy and role modelling from former incels. As issues of extremism, online radicalization, and mental health grow in importance, these insights are vital for policymakers, educators, journalists and others addressing the challenges incels face and represent in society.</abstract><type>Journal Article</type><journal>Archives of Sexual Behavior</journal><volume>54</volume><journalNumber>5</journalNumber><paginationStart>1815</paginationStart><paginationEnd>1836</paginationEnd><publisher>Springer Nature</publisher><placeOfPublication/><isbnPrint/><isbnElectronic/><issnPrint>0004-0002</issnPrint><issnElectronic>1573-2800</issnElectronic><keywords>Involuntary celibates; Incels; Misogyny; Mental health; Singlehood; Dark Triad; Autism</keywords><publishedDay>21</publishedDay><publishedMonth>5</publishedMonth><publishedYear>2025</publishedYear><publishedDate>2025-05-21</publishedDate><doi>10.1007/s10508-025-03161-y</doi><url/><notes/><college>COLLEGE NANME</college><CollegeCode>COLLEGE CODE</CollegeCode><institution>Swansea University</institution><apcterm>SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal)</apcterm><funders>This research was funded by the Center for Countering Extremism, which is an independent body administered and funded by the United Kingdom Home Office. The lead author was also supported by the International Academy of Sex Research Student Research Development Award 2023.</funders><projectreference/><lastEdited>2025-07-18T15:36:33.2607493</lastEdited><Created>2024-07-24T10:59:25.3498324</Created><path><level id="1">Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences</level><level id="2">School of Psychology</level></path><authors><author><firstname>William</firstname><surname>Costello</surname><order>1</order></author><author><firstname>Joe</firstname><surname>Whittaker</surname><orcid>0000-0001-7342-6369</orcid><order>2</order></author><author><firstname>Andrew</firstname><surname>Thomas</surname><orcid>0000-0001-5251-7923</orcid><order>3</order></author></authors><documents><document><filename>67166__34379__3f30830d379e498c94f9e5bb939b009a.pdf</filename><originalFilename>67166.VoR.pdf</originalFilename><uploaded>2025-06-02T14:04:55.3937161</uploaded><type>Output</type><contentLength>1814440</contentLength><contentType>application/pdf</contentType><version>Version of Record</version><cronfaStatus>true</cronfaStatus><documentNotes>&#xA9; The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.</documentNotes><copyrightCorrect>true</copyrightCorrect><language>eng</language><licence>http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</licence></document></documents><OutputDurs/></rfc1807>
spelling 2025-07-18T15:36:33.2607493 v2 67166 2024-07-24 The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates e0d81929917163f850de7ea654435685 William Costello William Costello true false 112ed59957393e783f913443ec80faab 0000-0001-7342-6369 Joe Whittaker Joe Whittaker true false a43308ae6d7f5b8d5ab0daff5b832a96 0000-0001-5251-7923 Andrew Thomas Andrew Thomas true false 2024-07-24 Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture of men who form their identity around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. This community operates almost exclusively online, often serving as an outlet for misogynistic hostility. Concerns about violence from incels have positioned them as a growing (inter)national security threat. This study, the largest primary investigation of incel harmful attitudes and beliefs to date (N = 561), recruited participants from the United States and the United Kingdom with a mean age of 26. Consistent with previous research, the sample showed ethnic and political diversity, poor mental health, high levels of suicidality and autistic traits. Using a 3N (needs, networks, and narratives) informed theoretical framework, our pathway analysis revealed that poor mental health and ideological adherence were twice as predictive of harmful attitudes and beliefs (e.g., displaced aggression, hostile sexism, and justification of violence) compared to networking, with a bidirectional effect between poor mental health and ideology. We also found two distinct indirect pathways to harmful attitudes and beliefs among incels: one involving experiential vulnerabilities (e.g., autism traits, low mate value, and histories of bullying and abuse) and the other rooted in dispositional traits (e.g., the dark triad and right-wing political orientation), leading us to propose the Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm. These findings suggest that interventions targeting mental health and ideology may be more effective than those focusing solely on online networking. Implications for intervention strategies, informed by these theoretical models, are discussed, including date coaching, therapy and role modelling from former incels. As issues of extremism, online radicalization, and mental health grow in importance, these insights are vital for policymakers, educators, journalists and others addressing the challenges incels face and represent in society. Journal Article Archives of Sexual Behavior 54 5 1815 1836 Springer Nature 0004-0002 1573-2800 Involuntary celibates; Incels; Misogyny; Mental health; Singlehood; Dark Triad; Autism 21 5 2025 2025-05-21 10.1007/s10508-025-03161-y COLLEGE NANME COLLEGE CODE Swansea University SU Library paid the OA fee (TA Institutional Deal) This research was funded by the Center for Countering Extremism, which is an independent body administered and funded by the United Kingdom Home Office. The lead author was also supported by the International Academy of Sex Research Student Research Development Award 2023. 2025-07-18T15:36:33.2607493 2024-07-24T10:59:25.3498324 Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences School of Psychology William Costello 1 Joe Whittaker 0000-0001-7342-6369 2 Andrew Thomas 0000-0001-5251-7923 3 67166__34379__3f30830d379e498c94f9e5bb939b009a.pdf 67166.VoR.pdf 2025-06-02T14:04:55.3937161 Output 1814440 application/pdf Version of Record true © The Author(s) 2025. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
spellingShingle The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
William Costello
Joe Whittaker
Andrew Thomas
title_short The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
title_full The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
title_fullStr The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
title_full_unstemmed The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
title_sort The Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm: A Model of Harmful Attitudes and Beliefs Among Involuntary Celibates
author_id_str_mv e0d81929917163f850de7ea654435685
112ed59957393e783f913443ec80faab
a43308ae6d7f5b8d5ab0daff5b832a96
author_id_fullname_str_mv e0d81929917163f850de7ea654435685_***_William Costello
112ed59957393e783f913443ec80faab_***_Joe Whittaker
a43308ae6d7f5b8d5ab0daff5b832a96_***_Andrew Thomas
author William Costello
Joe Whittaker
Andrew Thomas
author2 William Costello
Joe Whittaker
Andrew Thomas
format Journal article
container_title Archives of Sexual Behavior
container_volume 54
container_issue 5
container_start_page 1815
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 0004-0002
1573-2800
doi_str_mv 10.1007/s10508-025-03161-y
publisher Springer Nature
college_str Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofmedicinehealthandlifesciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences
department_str School of Psychology{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Psychology
document_store_str 1
active_str 0
description Incels (involuntary celibates) are an online subculture of men who form their identity around a perceived inability to form sexual or romantic relationships. This community operates almost exclusively online, often serving as an outlet for misogynistic hostility. Concerns about violence from incels have positioned them as a growing (inter)national security threat. This study, the largest primary investigation of incel harmful attitudes and beliefs to date (N = 561), recruited participants from the United States and the United Kingdom with a mean age of 26. Consistent with previous research, the sample showed ethnic and political diversity, poor mental health, high levels of suicidality and autistic traits. Using a 3N (needs, networks, and narratives) informed theoretical framework, our pathway analysis revealed that poor mental health and ideological adherence were twice as predictive of harmful attitudes and beliefs (e.g., displaced aggression, hostile sexism, and justification of violence) compared to networking, with a bidirectional effect between poor mental health and ideology. We also found two distinct indirect pathways to harmful attitudes and beliefs among incels: one involving experiential vulnerabilities (e.g., autism traits, low mate value, and histories of bullying and abuse) and the other rooted in dispositional traits (e.g., the dark triad and right-wing political orientation), leading us to propose the Dual Pathways Hypothesis of Incel Harm. These findings suggest that interventions targeting mental health and ideology may be more effective than those focusing solely on online networking. Implications for intervention strategies, informed by these theoretical models, are discussed, including date coaching, therapy and role modelling from former incels. As issues of extremism, online radicalization, and mental health grow in importance, these insights are vital for policymakers, educators, journalists and others addressing the challenges incels face and represent in society.
published_date 2025-05-21T08:05:26Z
_version_ 1848571043904487424
score 11.301088

Similar Items