The Rise of the Incel Mission-Oriented Attacker

This article describes characteristics of individuals who subscribe to the involuntary celibate (incel) ideology and claimed this as a central motivation in their mission-oriented attack. Incel ideology should be seen as a range of behavior, similar to indoctrination spectrum. The authors draw from 15 cases of targeted violence where incel ideologies were a central motivation. They review common incel thoughts, language and ideas, core ideological beliefs (entitlement, misogyny, and jealousy), and how hopelessness, alienation, and depression give rise to an escalation of physical violence. Suggestions for therapeutic interventions are provided to assist those providing treatment to incel clients from the existential, narrative-based, cognitive-behavioral, and reality therapy modalities of treatment.