Incel, short for 'involuntary celibate', is an online term used to refer to heterosexual men who struggle with romantic relationships, and blame women for their lack of success.
At the core of the incel online community is the idea that women have too much power in society, particularly in terms of choosing a romantic partner, and that women ruin men's lives when they reject them. They also believe that attractiveness is pre-determined by genetic factors, which dictate our physical appearance, and these are the main features that women find attractive in men.
These ideas lead them to believe misogynistic ideals about women's role in society as inferior to men. Both in the UK and America, violent acts against women have been linked to incel culture, including the killing five people in Plymouth by Jake Davison, who had an obsession with incel culture.
