UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Home Office funded a study on incels, paying participants to share insights on their beliefs, which sparked debate over the ethics of compensating individuals.
As reported by The Guardian, a state-funded survey paid hundreds of men who identify as “incels” or involuntary celibates.
Why did the UK Home Office pay incels for a study?
Researchers from the Home Office’s Countering Extremism Commission offered £20 or $20 per participant to complete a 40-minute survey on incel ideology and behaviour.
The study saw 561 men from Britain and the US join, although some declined to fill out the payment form due to concerns about potential misuse of their data. 126 participants decided to donate their payments to the Movember men’s mental health charity.
How are incels linked to rising terrorism risks and violence?
The rise of incels in the UK is recognized as a potential terrorism threat, with their shared beliefs linked to attacks globally, like the 2018 Toronto van assault that killed 10 individuals.
The concept of being an incel is centred on the struggles to engage in romantic bonds, often developing a sense of self-based on this belief. This can lead to deep-seated misogynistic attitudes, which may fuel violent actions.
What did Joe Whittaker say about paying incels for research?
Joe Whittaker, who headed the incel study at Swansea University alongside William Costello from the University of Texas, acknowledged that paying participants with harmful views raised ethical dilemmas but argued that gathering a diverse sample justified the decision.
He stated,
“All of research ethics is about trade-offs between two competing goods. You have this issue of a very hard-to-reach, difficult-to-research population. Trying to find a way into that is good.”
Mr Whittaker added,
“On the other hand, I recognise that some may object to this approach, as certain incels have been accused of, and in some instances, committed severe acts. This isn’t just about violence; it’s about blatant misogyny.”
According to Whittaker, the payment was higher than the national living wage of £11.44 but kept at a reasonable level to avoid attracting unwanted survey participants.
Referring to the research, the academics concluded that despite concerns over paying incels, it would be ethically questionable to assume all incels hold extreme views and withhold compensation typically given in psychology research.