Incel extremism doubles online amid Adolescence backlash
Incel extremism groups online have nearly doubled their membership amid a backlash against the Netflix hit show Adolescence.
The largest active online incel platform has increased in size to 30,000 members from 17,000 in September 2022, according to research by the Centre for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH).
The platform received a peak of more than 2.7 million visits in the first quarter of this year, with posts reflecting the misogynistic, racist and anti-Semitic tendencies of participants.
The forum is the online home for thousands of involuntary celibates or incels, who often express hostility to women and wider society, blaming them for their lack of sexual and romantic experiences.
In an analysis by the CCDH of more than 650 posts from the forum's discussion threads, researchers found that one in four contained misogynist hate, racism or anti-Semitic conspiracies.
A majority of posts expressed disapproval of the Netflix series, with forum members claiming the show's central character was too attractive to be an incel, or that the show's writers had failed to distinguish the subculture from misogynist influencers such as Andrew Tate.
Adolescence became Netflix's third most-watched English language show in its history. It follows a teenager who delves into online misogynist communities before murdering a female classmate.
In its research, CCDH found that forum members posted about rape every 29 minutes, while 16 per cent of posts contained a misogynistic slur. Researchers also noted that the volume of posts on the forum had grown over time to reach a daily average of 2,340 posts.
Imran Ahmed, CCDH's chief executive, warned that Incel ideology on the internet had grown and was not restricted to the dark web. 'The misogyny and extremism we saw three years ago have not only intensified, they've multiplied,' he said.
'Incel communities, where young men and boys are encouraged to hate and hurt women, are not hidden in the deepest recesses of the dark web – these communities of tens of thousands of men are operating in front of our children's eyes, accessible in the browsers of their cell phones.
'I encourage parents and schools to have deeper conversations with their children that span beyond the fictional show of Adolescence and into the reality of radicalisation facing young boys.
'This is an immediate crisis that demands more research and urgent action from policymakers, tech companies, and parents.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Immigration raids in LA expand despite protests with teargas and flash-bangs
US immigration authorities extended activity in the Los Angeles area on Saturday in the wake of protests at a federal detention facility and a police response that included teargas, flash-bangs and the arrest of a union leader. Border patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stood guard outside an industrial park in the city of Paramount, deploying teargas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street, some jeering at authorities while recording the event on smartphones. 'Ice out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,' a woman announced through a megaphone. 'You are not welcome here.' One handheld sign said: 'No Human Being is Illegal.' The boulevard was closed to traffic as US Customs and Border Protection circulated through the area. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) representatives did not respond immediately to email inquiries about weekend enforcement activities. Arrests by immigration authorities in Los Angeles come as Donald Trump and his administration push to fulfill promises to carry out mass deportations across the country. On Friday, Ice officers arrested more than 40 people as they executed search warrants at multiple locations, including outside a clothing warehouse where a tense scene unfolded as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away. The Los Angeles mayor, Karen Bass, said the activity was meant to 'sow terror' in the nation's second-largest city. In a statement on Saturday, Ice acting director Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city's response to protests. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' Lyons said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation's immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.' Protesters gathered Friday evening outside a federal detention center in Los Angeles where lawyers said those arrested had been taken, chanting: 'Set them free, let them stay!' Other protesters held signs that said 'ICE out of LA!' and led chants and shouted from megaphones. Some scrawled graffiti on the building facade. Federal agents executed search warrants at three locations, including a warehouse in the fashion district of Los Angeles, after a judge found there was probable cause the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for homeland security investigations and the US attorney's office. Advocates for immigrant rights say people were detained Friday by immigration authorities outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Jared Leto accused of sexual misconduct by MULTIPLE women... and several were allegedly minors
Jared Leto is facing allegations from nine women of inappropriate behavior, including with teenage girls. The frontman of 30 Seconds to Mars and star of films including House Of Gucci and Suicide Squad, 53, is alleged to have inflicted the behavior on them over the course of nearly two decades, and the accusations involve women who say they were teenagers at the time of the alleged incidents. According to an exposé published by Air Mail, the claims, which have apparently circulated in Hollywood for years, have now been brought into the open, with one woman stating to the outlet: 'It's been an open secret for a long time.' The accusations came to light after Los Angeles–based DJ Allie Teilz, 30, re-shared a 2012 Facebook post on her Instagram Stories, in which she alleged Leto assaulted her when she was 17. 'You're not really in LA until Jared Leto tries to force himself on you backstage… in a kilt… And a snow hat,' she claimed. 'I was assaulted and traumatized by this creep when I was 17.' She further alleged that Leto — who was previously called out by other Hollywood stars for being 'full of himself' — 'knew' her age but 'didn't care,' describing his actions as 'predatory, terrifying and unacceptable.' The accusations in a story by Air Mail include allegations of sexual assault, while others claim Leto made unwanted sexual advances at them, ever after he allegedly knew they were underage; pictured in September 2024 in Paris Reps for Leto haven't yet responded to request for comment. A second woman, whose name was not revealed, told Air Mail that Leto approached her in 2006 when she was 16 at Urth Caffé in Los Angeles. At the time, he was allegedly visiting the popular cafe with Ashley Olsen, whom he had been rumored to be in a relationship with at the time. 'I looked down and it was Jared Leto. We had a quick conversation, and he got my number,' she claimed. The woman alleged that he called her days later, adding: 'I don't know if he was on drugs or what… it was the weirdest, grossest voice… [but] for me, it's Jared, you know?' The woman alleged their late-night conversations 'turned sexual,' and she claimed that Leto asked questions including, 'Have you ever had a boyfriend?' and 'Have you ever sucked a d***?' Model Laura La Rue, 33, also alleged that she met Leto in 2008, when she was 16 and he was 36, at a Yes! on Prop Two animal rights benefit. 'He asked how old I was,' she alleged. 'I said, "I'm 16. How old are you?"' La Rue claimed Leto still asked for her number despite knowing her age, and she said he later invited her to his Los Angeles home, where he was 'flirting' and 'teasing [her] the whole time [she] was there.' Leto's representative denied all of the women's accounts in a statement to Air Mail: 'Their communications contain nothing sexual or inappropriate and Ms. La Rue later applied to work as Mr. Leto's personal assistant, further underscoring the absence of anything inappropriate in any of their interactions.' But La Rue denied applying for such a role. Sources quoted in the article described parties at Leto's Los Angeles home and said they had a ratio of 60 'very young women to four or five men,' and they claimed that guests were encouraged to go skinny dipping at the events. Jared's publicist stated that the actor 'has not had a drink or used drugs in over 35 years.'
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Immigration authorities extend activity in Los Angeles area amid street protests
U.S. immigration authorities extended activity in Los Angeles area on Saturday in the wake of protests at an federal detention facility and a police response that included tear gas, flash-bangs and the arrest of a union leader. Border Patrol personnel in riot gear and gas masks stood guard outside an industrial park in the city of Paramount, deploying tear gas as bystanders and protesters gathered on medians and across the street, some jeering at authorities while recording the events on smartphones. 'ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,' a woman announced through a megaphone. "You are not welcome here." One hand-held sign said, 'No Human Being is Illegal.' The boulevard was closed to traffic as U.S. Border Patrol circulated through the area. ICE representatives did not respond immediately to email inquiries about weekend enforcement activities. Arrests by immigration authorities in Los Angeles come as President Donald Trump and his administration push to fulfill promises to carry out mass deportations across the country. On Friday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested more than 40 people as they executed search warrants at multiple locations, including outside a clothing warehouse where a tense scene unfolded as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the activity was meant to 'sow terror' in the nation's second-largest city. In a statement on Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city's response to protests. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' Lyons said in a statement. 'Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation's immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens.' Protesters gathered Friday evening outside a federal detention center in Los Angeles where lawyers said those arrested had been taken, chanting 'set them free, let them stay!' Other protesters held signs that said 'ICE out of LA!' and led chants and shouted from megaphones. Some scrawled graffiti on the building facade. Federal agents executed search warrants at three locations, including a warehouse in the fashion district of Los Angeles, after a judge found there was probable cause the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's Office. Advocates for immigrant rights say people were detained Friday by immigration authorities outside Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop.
