Incels being added to RCMP’s terrorism awareness guide

The police force released a statement noting that it added incel attacks under the category of violent extremism.

It also said it was working on making changes to its terrorism awareness guide, which doesn’t currently make any mention incels.

“The guide is currently being updated and will very likely include mention of incel as an example of ideologically motivated violent extremism,” said the RCMP statement.

The guide was launched in 2015 with the hopes of helping first responders and parents identify “indicators or early warning signs” of terrorist planning and violent radicalization.

It lists certain behaviour and symbols associated with groups like the neo-Nazi Blood & Honor the anti-capitalist Black Bloc and ISIS.

The update shows that the government is now viewing incels as a threat to public safety as there have been 11 people killed and 19 people injured in Canada as a result of incel attacks in the past two years.

Canada is taking a tougher approach to incels after recent attacks including one that took place at an erotic massage parlour in Toronto on Feb. 24.

A 17-year-old received terrorism charges after the spa attack, which was the first time anti-terrorism laws were used in Canada against an alleged incel.

In an annual report to Parliament, incel attacks were recognized by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service as ideologically motivated violent extremism (IMVE).

“We are committed to countering the threats to public safety and national security posed by ideologically motivated violent extremists, such as individuals motivated by incel ideologies,” said Public Safety Minister Bill Blair’s office.

Incels (involuntary celibates), are men who are not able to attract sexual partners and who are active in online groups where they refer to themselves as victims. Misogyny and violence are common themes on the forums.

“Generally, male incels do adhere to a train of thought in which women are dehumanized by only defining them by their ability to give sex to men, and they carry an intense anger towards women because they will not give it to incels,” wrote Renske van der Veere in a paper that was published by the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism—the Hague, last week.

“The movement is also increasingly associated with violence.”

Incels fall within “a broad range of ideologies under IMVE,” according to the RCMP.

“IMVE should be reflected in the updated material and examples given of the different categories,” said the RCMP. “Usually incel is one of those examples although incel may not always fall under the national security mandate or be treated as terrorism.”

The minister’s office said that a guide on incels was funded by the government in order to allow front-line personnel to “provide enhanced interventions for individuals who are in the process of radicalizing to violence.”

Moonshot CVE wrote the guide which said incels were a public safety threat and are “angry, isolated, depressed and often suicidal.”

“It is also clear to anyone who spends time in these communities—where both suicidal ideation and suicide itself are rampant—incels also pose a significant threat to themselves,” it said.