Misogynist terrorism
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Misogynist terrorism is
Since 2018, misogynist or
Misogynist terrorism often targets representatives or stand-ins for a type of person that the terrorist feels anger toward. For instance, some have been motivated by a perception of entitlement to sex with women of a type the perpetrator sees as attractive. These attacks, some arising from the incel subculture, have targeted both women and men seen as sexually successful.
Recognition
According to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT) at the Hague, counter-terrorism experts were slow to recognize misogyny as an animating ideology for acts of mass violence in comparison to recognition of other ideologies. The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) have tracked misogyny or male supremacy as a motivation for terrorism since 2018, describing it as a "rising threat".[2]
The
The 1989 École Polytechnique massacre is recognized as the first documented mass killing explicitly motivated by antifeminist resentment. The shooter, who killed 14 women and injured 10, stated that his motivations were "political" and that he intended to "fight feminism."[5]
Misogynist ideology is often not mentioned in reports of terrorist attacks even when attackers explicitly state it.[6]
Motivations
Misogyny is common among mass killers, even among those who kill for other reasons.[7] The following are specifically misogynist motivations that have been given as primary reasons for indiscriminate mass killings.
Problems which men face in the modern world
Laura Bates writes that real problems and insecurities faced by young men—such as workplace injuries, cancer, and suicide—can be co-opted by organized online extremist groups. These groups present masculine strength, a lack of vulnerability, a lack of emotion, and other stereotypes of masculinity as solutions to these problems although, she writes, these stereotypes actually cause or exacerbate the problems they claim to solve. Bates says that this ideological grooming can lead to calls for mass violence against women, and that when this occurs it should be categorized as terrorism.[8]
Laurie Penny writes that, like other forms of violent extremism, misogynist extremism "promises the lost and despairing that they will have the respect and sense of purpose they have always longed for, if they only hate hard enough."[9]
Sexual and romantic entitlement
Mass murderers, in some cases identifying as
Sexual entitlement, alone, has been a primary motivator for acts of terror. The ICCT have found that anti-feminist conspiracy theories are typically combined with other far-right ideologies in motivating terrorists; however, sexual entitlement may be a motivation that stands by itself.[2]
In contrast, some terrorists see themselves as combating improper sexual desire. For example, the
Male supremacism
In some attacks or threats of terrorism the perpetrator has described desire to reinforce male superiority in a sexual hierarchy by preventing women from being recognized for their work or tolerated in leadership positions. For example, feminist video game critic
Proving manhood
Valenti writes that some misogynist terrorists have been motivated by a desire to live up to a stereotype that "real men" are powerful.[18]
Incel beliefs can include an abhorrence of men who are perceived as sexually successful with women. Male victims of misogynist violence have been targeted because of a desperation to assert superiority over these men.[12]
Causing fear
As is typical of terrorism, these acts are intended to cause widespread fear. Any woman may reasonably be unsettled about the potential of being targeted, notes philosopher Kate Manne, because often victims of these killings are treated as essentially interchangeable. Women are targeted merely because they fit a certain type rather than because they have any particular relationship to the killer.[1]
Misogyny need not mean hostility to women universally, or even very generally. Instead, misogynist terrorists often express desire to target women of a particular type, as revenge for perceived slights, or because of a perceived connection of the targeted women with feminism. However, the women targeted have no actual connection to a terrorist targeting indiscriminately; instead they are viewed as representatives or stand-ins for the women he wishes to harm.[1]
Responses
Like other forms of terrorism, misogynist extremist violence is intended to make a political statement. However, political responses to this form of terrorism have been less proactive than the governmental response to Islamic terrorism and other forms of terrorism.[12]
Counter-terrorist response is complicated by cultural attitudes toward misogynist crimes in general. Such crimes tend to be viewed as a "private issue" rather than a proper political subject.[12] Further, because incel attacks sometimes target both men and women indiscriminately, the gender-based motivation of these attacks has been difficult to recognize.[12][1]
Prosecutions
Christopher Cleary pled guilty to a charge of attempted threat of terrorism for an attack he planned against the 2019 Women's March rally in Provo, Utah. This was the first terrorism-related sentence given to a male supremacist perpetrator motivated primarily by sexual entitlement.[2]
The
In January 2021, a man in
Mitigation
Writers at the Institute for Research on Male Supremacism note that acts of misogynist mass violence can be placed on a continuum with intimate partner abuse, stalking, and other gender-based harassment and violence. They recommend addressing misogynist terrorism with the same approaches applied to these other problems, such as with domestic abuse perpetrator intervention programs.[21]
Australian researchers have recommended securitisation of incel ideology, as has been done for other ideologies that animate terrorism.[12]
Jessica Valenti recommends that feminism build a helpful alternative culture for young men, as it has successfully for young women, which would give young men an alternative to misogynist online communities when seeking respite from mainstream culture's constraints.[18]
List of incidents
- 1984 Cleveland Public Library shooting[22]
- 1989 École Polytechnique massacre
- 1991 Luby's shooting[5]
- 2009 Collier Township shooting
- 2014 Isla Vista killings[note 1]
- 2014–2015 Portsmouth knife attacks[23]
- 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting[19]: 34
- 2017 Aztec High School shooting[24]
- 2018 Toronto van attack[25]
- 2018 systematic shooting of female drivers in Texas[26]
- 2018 Tallahassee shooting[27]
- 2020 Toronto machete attack
- 2020 Glendale Westgate Entertainment District shooting[28]
- 2021 Atlanta spa shootings[29]
See also
Notes
- ^ According to Alex DiBranco: "No misogynist killer articulated the terroristic intention behind his selected target more clearly than 22-year-old Elliot Rodger, who set out on his 'War on Women' to 'punish all females for the crime of depriving me of sex.' The autobiography he left behind—which has been taken as a manifesto for the incel ideology—spells this out.".[2]
References
- ^ ISBN 9780190604981.
- ^ a b c d DiBranco, Alex (February 10, 2020). "Male Supremacist Terrorism as a Rising Threat". International Centre for Counter-Terrorism. The Hague. Archived from the original on April 20, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- Canberra, Australia. Archivedfrom the original on May 14, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ISBN 9783903128385. Archived(PDF) from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved May 14, 2021.
- ^ a b DiBranco, Alex (December 6, 2019). "The First Anti-Feminist Massacre: A Reckoning with Misogynist Terrorism on the 30th Anniversary of the Montreal Mass Shooting". The Public Eye. Political Research Associates. Archived from the original on July 28, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ Drewett, Zoe (December 17, 2020). "Misogyny and 'Manosphere' Spreading To Playgrounds 'and Is a Terror Threat', Author Says". Newsweek. Archived from the original on March 23, 2021. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
In both the U.S. and U.K., anti-terrorism strategies focus on far-right and Islamic extremism but do not pick up a link to misogyny. In reports of terrorist attacks, misogynist ideology is often not mentioned, even when attackers like Rodger or Minassian explicitly state it.
- ^ Bosman, Julie; Taylor, Kate; Arango, Tim (August 10, 2019). "A Common Trait Among Mass Killers: Hatred Toward Women". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Kelsey-Sugg, Anna; Zajac, Bec (April 2, 2021). "Misogynistic 'radicalisation' of boys online has these experts calling for change". ABC Radio National. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on June 18, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Penny, Laurie (May 25, 2014). "Laurie Penny on misogynist extremism: Let's call the Isla Vista killings what they were". New Statesman. Archived from the original on July 1, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
- ^ Valenti, Jessica (April 26, 2018). "When Misogynists Become Terrorists". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 23, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- S2CID 149302916.
- ^ S2CID 218933914.
- ^ Safier, Chole (July 12, 2018). "What We Already Know About Incels". New America. Archived from the original on June 17, 2021. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ Graham, Ruth (March 20, 2021). "Atlanta Suspect's Fixation on Sex Is Familiar Thorn for Evangelicals". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- UC Berkeley. Archivedfrom the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
- ^ Valenti, Jessica (August 29, 2015). "Anita Sarkeesian interview: 'The word "troll" feels too childish. This is abuse'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on August 29, 2015. Retrieved August 7, 2020.
- ^ Jasser, Greta; Kelly, Megan; Rothermel, Ann-Kathrin (20 May 2020). "Male supremacism and the Hanau terrorist attack: between online misogyny and far-right violence". The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism – The Hague. Archived from the original on 1 April 2021. Retrieved 14 May 2021.
- ^ a b Valenti, Jessica (July 29, 2018). "How feminists can help boys". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ OCLC 1125958377.
- ^ Wilkie, Stephen (January 12, 2021). "Edinburgh student jailed for ten years after terrorism trial; A student who was 'addicted' to reading about mass murders carried out by misogynist 'Incel' killers has been jailed for ten years for breaching terrorism laws". Edinburgh Evening News.
- ^ Kelly, Megan; DiBranco, Alex; DeCook, Julia R. (February 18, 2021). "Misogynist Incels and Male Supremacism". New America. Institute for Research on Male Supremacism. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 20, 2021.
- Associated Press News. 2023-05-12. Archived from the originalon 2023-05-12. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
- ^ "Virgin teenager Ben Moynihan: Guilty of stabbing women". BBC. Hampshire. January 20, 2015. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
- ^ Institute for Strategic Dialogue. The Threat Landscape: Incel and Misogynist Violent Extremism (PDF) (Report). p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-01-25. Retrieved 2022-01-25.
- ISBN 9781479864362.
- ^ Aggeler, Madeline (August 27, 2018). "Texas Man Accused of Shooting Female Drivers, Believes They Are 'Incompetent'". The Cut. Archived from the original on September 25, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ Long, Colleen (March 15, 2022). "Secret Service study of yoga class shooting shows misogyny". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
The shooting that left two women dead and wounded six others spotlights the growing concern posed by extremists with hatred toward women, according to a case study the U.S. Secret Service released Tuesday.
- ^ Dowd, Trone (May 22, 2020). "Arizona Mass Shooter Who Live-Streamed Attack Was a Self-Described 'Incel' Targeting Couples". Vice. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Dewan, Shaila; Cowan, Jill (March 18, 2021). "How Racism and Sexism Intertwine to Torment Asian-American Women". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
Further reading
- OCLC 1125958377.
- Baumgärtner, Maik; Höfner, Roman; Müller, Ann-Katrin; Rosenbach, Marcel (10 Mar 2021). "Hatred Against Women: The Dark World of Extremist Misogyny". Der Spiegel.
- ISBN 9780190604981.