Abstract

This strategic report examines the structural rise of “manosphere” sub-cultures—including Involuntary Celibates (Incels) and Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW) within the North East of England, evaluating digital misogyny as a primary vector for extremist radicalisation. Utilising a mixed-methods approach that integrates historical contextualisation, judicial case studies, and primary qualitative data, the report illustrates how recommendation algorithms weaponise online grievances to exploit the region’s post-industrial socio-economic vulnerabilities.

A critical finding highlights a severe national safeguarding gap within the UK’s Prevent programme: neurodiverse individuals adopting rigid online ideologies are frequently categorised as Mixed, Unclear, or Unstable (MUU), resulting in their exclusion from counter-terrorism support without a structured handoff to localised care. This systemic failure leaves a highly volatile threat to public safety unmanaged, directly impacting rates of Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) across regional communities. To mitigate this localised threat, the report delivers actionable policy recommendations tailored for the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (MSA), bridging national counter-terrorism intelligence with public health early-intervention models.

Key Contributions

• Identified a critical “neurodiversity safeguarding gap” in the UK Prevent strategy where MUU-categorized individuals lack localised intervention pathways.
• Proposed a hybrid, public-health-driven early intervention framework integrating the Northumbria Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) with educational resilience programs.
• Contextualized modern digital radicalisation within the historical trajectory of regional socio-economic vulnerabilities and extremist exploitation in the North East.