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Cited by 45Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political ViolencePopulism, Right-Wing MovementsCrime, Deviance, and Social Control

The Role of Perceived Injustice and Need for Esteem on Incel Membership Online

O’Malley, Roberta Liggett, Helm, Brenna·2023·Deviant Behavior
DOI 10.1080/01639625.2022.2133650
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Abstract

Incels – a term that stands for “involuntary celibates”—is a subculture of men connected by their inability to obtain romantic and sexual relationships. As a group known for real-world violent attacks, understanding the drivers of online membership offers valuable insight into these vulnerable men. The current study used inductive qualitative analysis of over 8,000 posts made by 703 unique posters in two online incel communities to explore common themes within the process of incel membership online. Qualitative analyses uncovered two higher-order concepts: perceptions of injustice and searching for esteem. Within these concepts several underlying themes emerged: victimization, perceived barriers to manhood, psychological responses, and black pill as liberation. The results posit that one avenue to incel membership comes from heightened perceptions of injustice among these users. In addition, the incel forum offers a strategy to increase self-esteem through online membership, which may be a vital draw for disenfranchised young people. Unfortunately, it seems that online incel membership, while a source of self-esteem, shapes incel perceptions, leading members to re-interpret instances in their lives through the lens of extremist ideology.

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Crossref · 10.1080/01639625.2022.2133650

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63 of 63 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The blackpill ideology posits that incels' low status is due to immutable features, primarily related to physical appearance, neurodivergence, etc.

    “This ideology posits that incels' low status is due to immutable features, primarily related to physical appearance, neurodivergence, etc.”

    From Exploring incel group dynamics: a computational study of hierarchy and group-boundary policing (2025) · cites this paper as [11]

  • The blackpill ideology suggests that any individual improvement is futile and that incels should accept their low-status position.

    “Since the blackpill ideology attributes incels' low status to immutable characteristics, it suggests that any individual improvement is futile and that incels should accept their low-status position [9-11].”

    From Exploring incel group dynamics: a computational study of hierarchy and group-boundary policing (2025) · cites this paper as [11]

  • The blackpill ideology blames feminism for granting women too much autonomy, leading to high standards whereby women would rather remain single than accept an unattractive partner.

    “The blackpill further blames feminism for granting women too much autonomy, leading to high standards whereby women would rather remain single than accept an unattractive partner.”

    From Exploring incel group dynamics: a computational study of hierarchy and group-boundary policing (2025) · cites this paper as [11]

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Authors
O’Malley, R. L., & Helm, B.
Affiliations
  • University of South Florida, Sarasota, FL, USA
  • Michigan State University (US)
Corresponding author
O’Malley, Roberta Liggett
ORCID
Venue
Deviant Behavior
Publisher
Informa UK Limited
Published
2022-10-12
Volume
44
Issue
7
Pages
1026-1043
ISSN
  • 0163-9625 (ISSN-L)
  • 1521-0456
DOI
10.1080/01639625.2022.2133650
OpenAlex
W4306155499
Cited by
45
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 17
FWCI
12.94
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Deviant Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
  • Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Populism, Right-Wing Movements
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime, Deviance, and Social Control
Keywords
incels, involuntary celibacy, online communities, perceived injustice, self-esteem, victimization, manhood, ideological extremism, online radicalization

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