‘Incels’ are growing threat in America, Secret Service report finds

Men who label themselves "involuntary celibates” are a growing threat in America, a troubling new report by the Secret Service has found.

An incel, which stands for a combination of the words “involuntary” and “celibate”, is a heterosexual man who desperately wants to have sex with women but fails to do so, consequently heaping blame on women for their own inability to form sexual relationships.

The 26-page report, conducted by the National Threat Assessment Centre, examined a slew of instances where men linked to incel movements have killed women. Dozens of women in America and Canada’s lives have been claimed from deadly and disturbing attacks linked to the incel movement in recent years.

Researchers also drew attention to “behavioural threat assessment themes” uncovered from years of research – honing in on concerning and threatening communications, an interest in violence, intense or escalating anger, blaming other people, bizarre or inappropriate behaviour and interpersonal difficulties.

Other themes identified by researchers were harassment, failed life aspirations, lack of consequences, financial instability, and a history of being bullied, among other issues.

The report argued incels characterise a form of “misogynistic extremism” which can also be labelled anti-feminist – with the label “incel” used to describe “men who feel unable to obtain romantic or sexual relationships with women, to which they feel entitled to”.

“This gender-based ideology, sometimes referred to as 'male supremacy' has received increased attention in recent years from researchers, government agencies and advocacy groups due to its association with high-profile incidents of mass violence,” the study stated.

Researchers examined a shooting which took place in Florida’s capital Tallahassee by a man who opened fire in a yoga studio and killed two women and injured four others. The report discovered the killer was exhibiting decades of warning signals.

The report said Scott Beierle, who shot himself with a semi-automatic gun minutes after fatally shooting those in the yoga studio, was spurred to perpetrate the attack as a result of struggling to enter into relationships with women.

The 40-year-old was previously arrested for groping women in public places, sacked from several jobs and fired from the military.

He was blocked from certain public places, with a report from his parents stating they locked their door when they went to sleep and were forced to take Beierle away from a birthday party thrown for his niece as he was touching young girls.

Bierele posted a song online he had written on the same day the yoga studio shooting took place which was called “F*** 'Em All”, as well as leaving behind a note which said: “If I can't find one decent female to live with, I will find many indecent females to die with.”