Although dating is an exciting experience, it entails serious risks for women. Especially if you date online since you usually don’t know much about the person you will meet for the first time. The prince charming may turn out to be an abuser and harm you. Actually, around 57% of people dating online lie to each other.
Does it mean we should refuse an opportunity to search for love, sex, or acquaintances online? Not at all. Women only have to be more careful on first dates. With some safe dating tips, you minimize the risks and feel more secure meeting someone. These safe dating tips work both for online and traditional dating.
Find out how to hook up safely with safe dating rules below.
Risk of Dating and Why It Has Increased Recently
Before the Internet changed every aspect of our lives, women usually went on dates with someone they met at school, at work, or a friend of their friends. Now, all these guys reside online. In the US, about one in three adults is dating online. It makes meeting new people more convenient but also lowers security. The recent story of The Tinder Swindler only proves this.
Overall, the leading dating risks for women include:
- Personal information misuse. Nearly fourth part of people share their name publicly in dating website profiles. One in ten have shared their address and naked photos. It’s a serious concern since someone may use these details for fraud, sending threats, predating the person, etc.
- Physical, sexual, and psychological abuse. One in ten sex offenders uses online dating resources to meet their victims. Unfortunately, women are also never protected from physical and emotional abuse when meeting with strangers. Hence, these are some other risks to mind in safe dating rules.
The listed dangers lead to a logical question ‘What should we do while dating to be safe?’ Some dating safety tips can help. Check them in the next section and start using these recommendations in your life.
10 Dating Safety Tips: What Are Some Ways to Avoid High-Risk Dating Situations
Let’s define safe dating first. Safe dates are dating experiences when all parties have personal security at the meeting and beyond it. The safe dating tips we share help women to achieve it or at least minimize threats. Here is how to properly date:
#1. Discuss Your Plans Beforehand and Choose the Place
You should know where you go before leaving your home. Pick the restaurant or another safe place. In other words, choose what is a safe date for you.
It gives you more control over the situation and allows you to tell friends or family where you will spend the time. In case of any threat, they will be able to provide help as soon as possible.
#2. Don’t Be Afraid to Ghost If You Have Doubts
We all know that ghosting is rude. Yet, your security is more important than anyone’s feelings. If you start having doubts about meeting someone while texting, it’s better not to. You can refuse politely at first and explain your position. If the person reacts aggressively, cut them loose. Ignore the messages and block the account.
#3. Meet for a Lunch Instead of a Late First Date
There are several reasons why lunch is preferable for secure dating. First, the time is limited. You will have up to two hours to get to know the person and make up your mind about them. If something goes wrong, it’s easier to flee, telling you must return to work or have other urgent stuff. If you like the person and feel safe, you can have dinner the next time.
Second, lunch is daytime. No dark streets and late returns to home. You have many people around to get help in case of a threat.
#4. Keep Your Phone Charged
How to stay safe on a first date? Make sure your phone is charged, and you have someone to call in an emergency. It’s a basic thing, yet life-critical for secure dating.
#5. Meet in Public for The First Few Times
Meeting in public is one of the primary first-date safety rules. It guarantees you personal security and an opportunity to ask for help or leave.
#6. Play Detective Before the Meeting
What are some ways to avoid high-risk dating situations? Learn as much as you can about the person before you agree to meet them. If you have mutual friends, ask them what they think about this guy. If you have met someone in a dating app, try to find them on social media to check the posts, photos, personal information, etc. It allows you to learn more about the person and avoid unnecessary risks.
#7. Don’t Share Personal Information Online For Safe Dates
Women shouldn’t share their full name, address, nude photos, or other personal details online if they care about safety. Abusers can steal this information or use it to harm you.
Even if you have been texting with someone for a while, they don’t need to know where you live or work. Wait until you meet in person and become 100% sure you can trust them.
#8. Use Verified Safe Dating Apps
Even though verified safe dating apps cannot guarantee your safety, they are still more secure than services without identity verification.
By verified safe dating apps, we mean websites and applications that check user identity. For example, Tinder asks users to provide their phone number or social media account. It also supports facial recognition technology to match profile pictures with a selfie. Besides, people cannot exchange photos on Tinder, which protects women from unwanted nudes.
#9. Tell Someone You Are Going Out
Here are the basics of dating safety tips: Always tell at least one friend that you will have a date. It’s not about gossiping. It’s about security.
Let the friend know with whom you meet, when, and where. You can also share the social profile of your date for additional details. Thanks to this, your friend will be able to provide reliable information to the police if something bad happens.
#10. Install a Personal Safety App
Finally, you can enjoy advanced personal security on dates, at home, and in any other place with safety apps. Solutions like AllsWell Alert add the panic button to the user’s phone. When you click it in emergencies, selected contacts receive alerts with your GPS location. It enables them to save you asap.
