Comparing policy responses to incels in Sweden and the UK

There is increasing awareness of the gendered violence undertaken by incels (involuntary celibates), both online and offline. Much of the analysis of the phenomenon has focused on what incels mean for our understanding of gender, as well as the role that the internet plays in fostering extremist ideologies. This article instead provides a comparative critical frame analysis of policy responses in Sweden and the United Kingdom. Using critical frame analysis, research finds that that there is greater engagement with the topic among parliamentary actors in the United Kingdom than in Sweden, although there appears to be a clearer response in Sweden where it is subsumed within countering violent extremism strategies. However, neither country has developed specific policies to tackle the threat posed by incels; moreover, there are diverse policy frames at work which to some extent makes it difficult to create targeted policies. Theoretically, we argue that this absence of policy should be understood as an abdication of responsibility.