Understanding and Treating Incels : Case Studies, Guidance, and Treatment of Violence Risk in the Involuntary Celibate Community

__Understanding and Treating Incels__ is an indispensable guide for mental health clinical staff, social workers, prevention specialists, educators, and threat assessment professionals who want to better understand the involuntary celibate movement, assess individuals’ potential for violence, and offer treatment approaches and prevention efforts. Chapters explore the movement in terms of gender, technology, the media, and pornography usage. The book discusses how the incel mentality has motivated individuals to misogynistic worldviews and increased rage and disillusionment, and inspired acts of targeted violence such as school shootings and mass casualty events. Later chapters walk the reader through three cases studies and offer treatment considerations to assist mental health professionals and those developing education and prevention-based programming. The complete text gives the reader useful perspectives and insights into incel culture while offering mental health clinicians and educators guidance on treatment and prevention efforts. Understanding and Treating Incels is an indispensable guide for mental health clinical staff, social workers, prevention specialists, educators, and threat assessment professionals who want to better understand the involuntary celibate movement, assess i Cover 1 Half Title 2 Endorsement 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of contents 8 Preface 10 Part 1 Introduction 12 1 To Be a Real Boy 14 Alienation and Depression 14 Attitude toward Women 16 Escalation to Physical Violence 18 Why Help Them? 19 Moving Forward 19 Discussion Questions 19 References 20 2 The Rise of the Incel 21 LA Fitness Shooting, Collier Township, PA, 2009 23 Catastrophizing: Is It Difficult or Impossible? 25 Isla Vista Killings, CA, 2014 26 The Alchemy of the Incel: Misogyny, Jealousy, and Entitlement 27 Moving Forward 32 Discussion Questions 32 References 32 Part 2 Etiology of the Incel 34 3 Masculine Identity Development and the Incel 36 The Roots 36 Hegemonic Masculinity 38 Cultures of Masculinity 39 Not a Chad or Beta; What’s Left? 40 Positive Masculinity 41 Discussion Questions 42 References 42 4 The Incel Funnel and the Influence of Religion, Technology, and Pornography 44 Understanding the Funnel 44 Religious Influences 49 The Incel Religion 50 Technology 51 Pornography 52 Summary 53 Discussion Questions 54 References 54 Part 3 Incel Questionnaire and Rubric 56 5 Incel Indoctrination Rubric (IIR) 58 Thinking 58 Feelings/Emotions 59 Behavior 60 Environmental 61 Case Examples Using the IIR 61 Scoring of the Isla Vista Killings, CA, 2014 62 Summary 62 Thinking 62 Feeling 62 Behaviors 63 Environment 63 Scoring of the LA Fitness Shooting, Collier Township, PA, 2009 63 Thinking 64 Feeling 64 Behaviors 64 Environment 65 Moving Forward 65 Discussion Questions 65 References 66 6 Incel Cases by Rubric Category: Special Thanks to Bethany Van Brunt for Her Work on This Chapter 67 Thinking 67 1 Misogyny (31/50) 67 2 Racism (11/50) 69 3 Blackpill (18/50) 69 4 Inaccurate Self-Conception (13/50) 69 5 Fame Seeking (25/50) 70 FEELING 70 6 Rage (23/50) 70 7 Hopelessness (17/50) 70 8 Catastrophe (18/50) 71 9 Disability (11/50) 71 10 Abandoned (16/50) 71 Behavior 72 11 Approach Behaviors (19/50) 72 12 Howling (22/50) 72 13 Suicide (28/50) 72 14 Past Attacks (12/50) 73 15 Redpill (10/50) 73 Environment 73 16 Incel Materials (13/50) 73 17 Rejection (21/50) 74 18 Bullied (11/50) 74 19 Failure to Change (12/50) 74 20 Free Fall (13/50) 74 Moving Forward 75 Discussion Questions 75 Note 75 Part 4 Assessing the Risk 76 7 Identifying the Risk Factors 78 Risk Factors 80 Quality of Threat 81 Risk Factors for Targeted, Predatory, Mission-Oriented Violence 83 Environmental Factors 92 Moving Forward 93 Discussion Questions 93 References 93 8 Identifying Stabilizing Influences 98 Stabilizing Influences 98 Environmental and Emotional Stability 99 Social Health and Relationships 100 Access to Non-Violent Outlets 101 Empathy and Connection 102 Positive Social and Individual Action 103 Positive Masculinity 104 Affirmative Sexuality 105 Moving Forward 107 Discussion Questions 107 References 108 9 Conducting a Violence Risk Assessment 110 Mental Illness and Violence 111 Violence Risk and Threat Assessment 112 SIVRA-35 113 US Postal Service Threat Assessment Team Guide 117 Risk Assessment Guideline Elements for Violence (RAGE-V) 117 Turner and Gelles 118 Verbal Cues 118 Bizarre Thoughts 118 Behavioral Clues 118 Obsessions 118 FBI Four-Prong Approach 119 Prong One: Personality of the Student 119 Prong Two: Family Dynamics 120 Prong Three: School Dynamics 120 Prong Four: Social Dynamics 120 ASIS Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention Standards 121 Approach Warning Behaviors 121 Assessing the Pathway to Violence 122 Structured Professional Judgment (SPJ) 124 1 Gather Information 124 2 Determine the Presence of Risk Factors 124 3 Determine the Relevance of Risk Factors 125 4 Develop a Good Formulation of Risk 125 5 Develop Scenarios for Violence 128 6 Case Management Plan Based on Scenarios 129 7 Conclusory Opinions about Violence Risk 130 Moving Forward 130 Discussion Questions 130 References 131 Part 5 Three Case Studies in Assessment and Treatment 134 10 Incel Treatment Approaches 136 Active Listening [PC] 136 Lost, Naked, and Alone [ExT] 137 Engaging and Changing the Incel Story [Na] 139 Who Are You? [May] 141 Teaching the Incel to Think Differently [REBT] [Na] 142 Making a Plan [Real] 146 Motivational Interviewing [MI] 146 How the Incel Will Experience Change [CT] 147 Moving Forward 149 Discussion Questions 149 References 149 11 Assessment and Treatment Approaches: Junior High 151 Case 1: Marc 151 Scoring of Marc 152 Thinking 152 Feeling 152 Behaviors 152 Environment 153 Threat Assessment Initial Evaluation 153 Threat Assessment Recommendations 154 Counseling Treatment Considerations 155 Narrative Therapy Example 156 REBT Therapy Example 158 Person-Centered Example 159 Moving Forward 160 Discussion Questions 160 References 160 12 Assessment and Treatment Approaches: College 161 Case 2: Jake 161 Scoring of Jake 162 Thinking 162 Feeling 163 Behaviors 163 Environment 163 Threat Assessment Initial Evaluation 164 Threat Assessment Recommendations 165 Counseling Treatment Considerations 166 Existentialism 168 Motivational Interviewing 170 Moving Forward 171 Discussion Questions 171 References 172 13 Assessment and Treatment Approaches: Workplace 173 Case 3: Kyle 173 Scoring of Kyle 175 Thinking 175 Feeling 175 Behaviors 175 Environment 176 Threat Assessment Initial Evaluation 176 Threat Assessment Recommendations 178 Counseling Treatment Considerations 178 Reality Therapy 180 Change Theory 181 Moving Forward 181 Discussion Questions 181 References 182 Part 6 Community and Systems Approach 184 14 Addressing the Incel through the BIT/CARE Model: Special Thanks to Dr. Amy Murphy for Her Work on This Chapter 186 Purpose of Using a Team Strategy 186 Three Phases of Team Activities 187 Phase 1 of BIT: Gathering Data 187 Phase 2 of BIT: Risk Rubric and Analysis 190 Phase 3 of BIT: Interventions 193 Team Membership 196 A Typical Meeting 199 Common Missteps in the Work of BITs 201 Discussion Questions 202 Note 202 References 203 Appendix A: Case Review 204 Appendix B: George Sodini Blog 230 Appendix C: Elliot Rodger Video Transcript “Day of Retribution” 239 Appendix D: Christopher Harper-Mercer Manifesto 241 Appendix E: Dylann Roof Manifesto 246 Appendix F: Joseph Ferguson Confession (Transcript of Video) 251 Appendix G: A Partial Transcript 254 Appendix H: Incel Terms and Definitions 273 Appendix I: Incel Indoctrination Rubric (IIR) 276 Index 285