“Between the self and the other”: clinical presentation of male supremacy in violent extremists

Figures & data

Table 1. Sociodemograhic characteristics of individuals enrolled in VE clinical services in Montreal, Quebec, 2016–2021 (N = 86).

	Male supremacist extremism (n = 22)	Other extremism (n = 64)	Total (N = 86)
Age
Mean (SD)	26.1 (8.27)	25.0 (14.6)	25.3 (13.2)
Sex
Male	22 (100%)	59 (92.2%)	81 (94.2%)
Female	0 (0%)	5 (7.8%)	5 (5.8%)
Marital status
Single	20 (90.9%)	50 (78.1%)	70 (81.4%)
Married/In a relationship	0 (0%)	10 (15.6%)	10 (11.6%)
Separated/Widowed	2 (9.1%)	4 (6.3%)	6 (7.0%)
Currently in school
Yes	9 (40.9%)	36 (56.3%)	45 (52.3%)
No	13 (59.1%)	28 (43.8%)	41 (47.7%)
Highest education
High school or under	9 (40.9%)	33 (51.6%)	42 (48.8%)
College	5 (22.7%)	11 (17.2%)	16 (18.6%)
University	6 (27.3%)	9 (14.1%)	15 (17.4%)
Missing	2 (9.1%)	11 (17.2%)	13 (15.1%)
Currently employed
Yes	10 (55.6%)	8 (25.0%)	18 (36.0%)
No	8 (44.4%)	24 (75.0%)	32 (64.0%)
Not applicable	4	32	36
Referral sources
Self-referral	2 (9.1%)	11 (17.2%)	13 (15.1%)
Friends and family	4 (18.2%)	11 (17.2%)	15 (17.4%)
Youth protection services	0 (0.0%)	7 (10.9%)	7 (8.1%)
Community organization	2 (9.1%)	4 (6.3%)	6 (7.0%)
Security agencies	10 (45.5%)	13 (20.3%)	23 (26.7%)
School	3 (13.6%)	9 (14.1%)	12 (14.0%)
Health services	6 (27.3%)	19 (29.7%)	25 (29.1%)

Table 2. Clinical and VE characteristics of individuals enrolled in VE clinical services in Montreal, Quebec, 2016–2021 (N = 86).

	Male supremacist extremism (n = 22)	Other extremism (n = 64)	Total (N = 86)
History of mental health care
Yes	17 (77.3%)	42 (65.6%)	59 (68.6%)
No	5 (22.7%)	22 (34.4%)	27 (31.4%)
Criminal offense history
Yes	6 (27.3%)	14 (21.9%)	20 (23.3%)
No	16 (72.7%)	50 (78.1%)	66 (76.7%)
Substance abuse
Yes	4 (18.2%)	15 (23.4%)	19 (22.1%)
No	18 (81.8%)	49 (76.6%)	67 (77.9%)
Number of extremist ideologies
1	10 (45.5%)	57 (89.1%)	67 (77.9%)
2	6 (27.3%)	4 (6.3%)	10 (11.6%)
3	6 (27.3%)	3 (4.7%)	9 (10.5%)
Extremist ideologies
Far-right	9 (40.9%)	18 (28.1%)	27 (31.4%)
Far-left	0 (0%)	3 (4.7%)	3 (3.5%)
Religious	5 (22.7%)	13 (20.3%)	18 (20.9%)
Gender	22 (100%)	0 (0%)	22 (25.6%)
Nationalism	1 (4.5%)	4 (6.3%)	5 (5.8%)
Conspirational	3 (13.6%)	8 (12.5%)	11 (12.8%)
Non-ideological violence	0 (0%)	28 (43.8%)	28 (32.6%)
Number of psychiatric diagnoses
0	0 (0%)	2 (3.1%)	2 (2.3%)
1	6 (27.3%)	39 (60.9%)	45 (52.3%)
2	7 (31.8%)	18 (28.1%)	25 (29.1%)
3	8 (36.4%)	4 (6.3%)	12 (14.0%)
4	1 (4.5%)	1 (1.6%)	2 (2.3%)
Psychiatric diagnosis
Autism spectrum disorder	14 (63.6%)	10 (16.1%)	24 (28.6%)
Intellectual deficiency	3 (13.6%)	2 (3.2%)	5 (6.0%)
Stress-related disorder	3 (13.6%)	27 (43.5%)	30 (35.7%)
Mood & anxiety disorder	11 (50.0%)	20 (32.3%)	31 (36.9%)
Psychotic disorder	3 (13.6%)	6 (9.7%)	9 (10.7%)
Personality disorder	4 (18.2%)	14 (22.6%)	18 (21.4%)
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder	4 (18.2%)	5 (8.1%)	9 (10.7%)
Oppositional/conduct disorder	3 (13.6%)	4 (6.5%)	7 (8.3%)
Other	3 (13.6%)	3 (4.8%)	6 (7.1%)
Not applicable	0	2	2

Table 3. Mixed methods integration of findings on typology of male supremacist VE.

	Quantitative			Qualitative	Meta-inferences
Item	Male Supremacist VE n (%)	Other VE n (%)	Fisher’s Exact test
Identify with far-right VE	9	18	–	‘There are those who are clearly associated with a group, like Incels […]. Then there are those who are more right-wing but make masculinist statements. […] Then you have a third group who are neither one nor the other, they can be a bit of religious radicalization, but mixed with a misogynistic discourse. It's a whole continuum. Then maybe there’s a fourth group, which is people who use gender to express their distress. There you have more what we call gender diverse.’	Male supremacist VE is a multidimensional sociocultural marker.
	(40.9)	(28.1)
Identify with far-left VE	0	3	–
	(0)	(4.7)
Identify with religious VE	5	13	–
	(22.7)	(20.3)
Identify with nationalistic VE	1	4	–
	(4.5)	(6.3)
Identify with conspiratorial VE	3	8	–
	(13.6)	(12.5)
Identify with two or more extremist ideologies	12	7	.11
	(55.5)	(11)	p < .001

Table 4. Mixed methods integration of findings on male supremacist VE clinical characteristics and social dynamics.

Domain		Quantitative			Qualitative	Meta-inferences
	Item	Male supremacist VE n (%)	Other VE n (%)	Fisher’s Exact test
Clinical characteristics	Prior mental health treatment	17	42	1.76	• Male supremacist VE as explanation for social rejection and exclusion among patients with ASD	Male supremacist VE can be understood as a strategy to enact ‘protection of the self’ in relationship to personal identity distress and social exclusion and difficulties with intimacy.
		(77.3)	(65.6)	p = .43
	Two or more psychiatric diagnoses	16	23	.21	• Male supremacist VE and belonging to an extremist group or identity as protection against external threats among patients with ASD
		(72.7)	(50.4)	p = .006
	ASD diagnosis	14	10	9.12
		(63.6)	(16.1)	p < .001*
Social grievances	Trauma history	9	18	1.76	• Patients with male supremacist VE report negative social experiences and lack of satisfaction related to romantic relationships and contentious family dynamics, particularly with women	Male supremacist VE exists and is expressed at an intersection of individual, relational, and sociopolitical distress.
		(40.9)	(28.1)	p = .29	• Patients with male supremacist VE frequently express anxiety related to gender identity, sexual orientation, and/or sexual performance
	Discrimination	3	13	.62	• Male supremacist VE as manifestation of social polarization of gender in the current sociocultural and historical context
		(13.6)	(20.3)	p = .75
	Harassment/bullying	10	27	1.14
		(45.5)	(42.2)	p = .80
	Break-up of romantic relationship	6	13	1.46
		(27.3)	(20.3)	p = .56
	Social isolation	16	29	3.18
		(72.7)	(45.3)	p = .05
	Family grievances	18	38	3.04
		(81.8)	(59.4)	p = .07
	Work grievances	6	5	4.33
		(27.3)	(7.8)	p = .03
	School grievances	6	26	.55
		(27.3)	(40.6)	p = .31
Social integration	Contact with family	20	57	1.23
		(90.9)	(89.1)	p = 1
	Romantic relationship	3	17	.41
		(13.6)	(28.1)	p = .25
	Work integration	8	6	5.38
		(36.4)	(9.4)	p = .006
	School integration	3	16	.48
		(13.6)	(25)	p = .38
	Community involvement	3	4	2.34
		(13.6)	(6.3)	p = .37
	Sports	3	4	2.34
		(13.6)	(6.3)	p = .37
	Worship	5	14	1.05
		(22.7)	(21.9)	p = 1
	Internet/social media	20	57	1.23
		(90.9)	(89.1)	p = 1
	Friendships	3	15	1.52
		(13.6)	(23.4)	p = .57