The term “Incel” refers to a group of boys and/or men who feel that they have been unjustly denied relationships and sex with women due to an unfair social system, and some Incels have committed violence based on these beliefs. More broadly, self-identified Incels face social and mental health issues and can hold negative beliefs about women and other marginalized genders, which may lead them to harm both themselves and others. In this research, we seek to understand the experiences that may lead men to become Incels. We interviewed 21 people who identified as former Incels about their experiences joining and leaving Incel groups, with the goal of understanding how men find their way into these groups, and how resources might be adapted to prevent young men from becoming Incels. A reflexive thematic analysis generated two major themes with subthemes. The first theme, Seeking help online for struggles meeting masculinity norms, had three subthemes that reflected the specific struggles being experienced: I’m a loser because I can’t get women, I’m all alone, and I have no value. The second theme, Down the rabbit hole: Finding help online from the Incel community, had three subthemes that reflected the several ways they were validated by the community: It’s not your fault, You belong here, and You are special. These findings highlight specific pathways that lead men to Incel communities and why they join them, and potential points for intervention that center pressures for boys and men to conform to masculine norms.

“Incel”一词是指一群男孩和/或男性，他们认为由于不公平的社会制度，他们被不公正地剥夺了与女性的关系和性行为，并且一些Incel基于这些信念实施了暴力。更广泛地说，自我认同的非自愿独身者面临着社会和心理健康问题，并且可能对女性和其他边缘化性别抱有负面信念，这可能导致他们伤害自己和他人。在这项研究中，我们试图了解可能导致男性成为非自愿者的经历。我们采访了 21 名前 Incel 人士，了解他们加入和离开 Incel 群体的经历，目的是了解男性如何进入这些群体，以及如何调整资源来防止年轻人成为 Incels。反思性主题分析产生了两个主要主题和次主题。第一个主题“为满足男性气质规范而在网上寻求帮助”有三个副主题，反映了正在经历的具体斗争：我是一个失败者，因为我找不到女人，我很孤独，我没有价值。第二个主题“走进兔子洞：从 Incel 社区在线寻求帮助”包含三个子主题，反映了社区验证它们的几种方式：这不是你的错、你属于这里、你很特别。这些发现强调了引导男性进入非自愿独身者社区的具体途径以及他们加入这些社区的原因，以及集中男孩和男性遵守男性规范的压力的潜在干预点。