California Law Enforcement To Target ‘Incel’ Extremism

In an upcoming domestic terrorism training session, the Orange County Intelligence Assessment Center (OCIAC) in California will include “Involuntary Celibate Extremism” (also known as incel extremism). The session, titled “Terrorism II: Domestic Terrorism,” will instruct law enforcement on identifying and addressing threats posed by Domestic Violent Extremists (DVEs).

Fusion centers, such as the OCIAC, serve as state-owned hubs where local, state, federal, and private sector partners can share intelligence related to potential security threats. The OCIAC’s training will cover a range of issues, including white supremacy extremism, “misinformation” and radicalization trends, and animal rights and anarchist extremism, in addition to incel extremism. The training is specifically designed for law enforcement officers, first responders, and analysts tasked with preventing and responding to domestic terrorism.

The term “involuntary celibate” (often shortened to “incel”) refers to individuals, typically men, who feel frustrated and resentful due to their inability to form romantic or sexual relationships. Incels may harbor anger and bitterness towards individuals who are sexually active, and women, whom they may blame for their perceived isolation.

The OCIAC’s focus on incel extremism comes in response to growing concerns that certain members of the incel community may turn to violence in an attempt to “punish” those they perceive as sexually successful or to protest their perceived societal marginalization. In the past, several violent incidents, including mass shootings, have been linked to individuals who identified as incels.

The FBI has increasingly categorized involuntary celibate violent extremists (IVEs) as a growing threat. According to a 2023 report from the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, documents revealed that the FBI included terms like “Red Pill,” “Chad,” and “Looksmaxxing” under the category of Involuntary Celibate Violent Extremism. While these terms are commonly used within the subculture, they’ve been circulated widely on the Internet, leading some to worry that these efforts will be overzealous and target harmless people.

The focus on “Involuntary Celibate Extremism” (incel extremism) could be demonstrative of misplaced priorities within the broader scope of domestic terrorism. While violent acts committed by individuals identifying as incels have occurred in the past—most notably incidents like the 2014 Isla Vista shooting—the relative frequency and scope of such attacks is much less than other forms of domestic terrorism.

One stark reminder of this came just days after the OCIAC announced its training, when a man aligned with ISIS rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve. The terrorist attack may indicate that the greatest dangers may lie with traditional terror threats, rather than isolated domestic threats like those posed by incels.

By prioritizing the incel community, which is, in large part, an online subculture focused on frustration over personal relationships, authorities may risk diverting attention from more urgent and established threats. This training course may inadvertently elevate an issue that does not currently present the same level of widespread, immediate danger as other forms of extremism. By casting the net too wide and overemphasizing incel extremism, law enforcement may find themselves misallocating resources, overlooking more significant risks that demand urgent intervention.

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