Thesis abstract:

«p»In 2014, a man named Elliot Rodgers instigated a shooting spree that resulted in the deaths of six individuals and injuries of 14 others, before taking his own life. Rodgers was an incel member of the online 'manosphere', a confederacy of different online men’s rights movements that generally share a deep hatred for women and believe that current gender relations victimise and subordinate men. Growing numbers of similar violent terror attacks motivated by extreme online misogyny have led the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation to label Incels as a national security risk in 2021. Ultimately, efforts to prevent and respond to misogynist terrorism must include a recognition of the role that the manosphere plays in promoting and normalizing aggressively sexist attitudes and behaviours. Consequently, my research aims to understand why individuals join and ultimately leave the manosphere, to better inform conversations about deradicalisation strategies.«/p»