Dating Safety

Anyone on the dating apps will tell you they are heavily populated with catfish, scammers and people wanting to do harm. It’s inevitable you’ll encounter at least one of these during your time on the apps…I know I’ve had my fair share. It’s a good idea to have some rules in place for your dating safety.

The first ways to be safe:

• Only swipe right on verified profiles
• Don’t show your surname or occupation/workplace in your dating app profile (even without this, I’ve still had guys somehow track me down on LinkedIn)
• Do a video call before a date if you feel uneasy

It’s easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment (or when you have the hangover horn), but watch out for someone wanting to engage in sexting and exchanging nudes early on. If someone asks for your socials and you’ve been sending nudes to them, they may threaten to send your pics to family or friends unless you pay them off. Unless you’re happy for grandma to see your bits, try to exercise some restraint!

Avoid the trap by not:

• Sending nudes before meeting (especially unsolicited ones…this is always a no no)
• Giving your socials out immediately
• Exchanging numbers until you’ve met

At the point of meeting, there are other safety considerations. Especially if you are meeting a couple or going to private sex parties through kinkier apps…you open yourself up to lots of physical dangers. You also need to consider your safety when travelling to and from venues (even if the party is safe, waiting for an Uber after it ends at 3am is not).

When planning a first meet:

• Tell a friend where you are going
• Meet in a public, populated area first
• Keep an eye on your drinks
• Plan how you’ll get home

As well as being mindful of your own safety, making sure your match/date feels safe is also important. Respect their boundaries and ask what you can do to ensure they feel safe. Don’t make someone feel unreasonable for wanting to put safety measures in place. Ultimately they will be more relaxed and enjoy things more if they feel safe!

You can be as cautious as you want on dating apps and still be caught out. At least by being prepared, you can minimise the potential of putting yourself in danger and help others feel more comfortable too. When it comes to your safety, always err on the side of caution and go with your gut…if something feels off, it probably is.