IMPLICATIONS OF INCEL SUBCULTURES, MISOGYNY, AND DIGITAL RADICALIZATION PROCESSES IN THE SOCIO-EMOTIONAL PROCESSES OF ADOLESCENTS

Abstract

School violence has assumed new configurations, influenced by the mediation of social interactions through digital technologies. Among the emerging phenomena, incel subcultures and online misogyny stand out, marked by the circulation of hate speech, narratives of resentment, and radicalization processes in virtual environments. This article investigated, through the articulation between empirical studies and theoretical models from psychology and sociology, the processes involved in the formation and maintenance of these subcultures, emphasizing their implications for violence and the socio-emotional development of adolescents. The analysis was structured around three axes: (1) conceptualization of the phenomenon; (2) associated psychological and behavioral processes; and (3) risk factors and prevention strategies. The findings indicate that the incel identity constitutes an identity construction in which psychological suffering, rejection, and social isolation are reinterpreted through cognitive biases and fatalistic ideologies, such as the blackpill. Within online echo chambers, these vulnerabilities frequently translate into misogynistic discourse and aggressive manifestations, reverberating in the school context through incivility, bullying, and cyberbullying. Radicalization trajectories result from the interaction between individual vulnerabilities, weaknesses in support networks, and the algorithmic architecture of digital platforms. It is concluded that prevention requires integrated biopsychosocial approaches, including the implementation of socio-emotional education programs, critical digital literacy, and the promotion of positive masculinities and equitable gender relations in schools.