However, just a simple google search will prove that Tinder may put people in dangerous situations. There are murder cases that started with a Tinder date. Multiple murder cases. Cases of assault that began with a date on Tinder are real as well. Suspects in crimes use Tinder as well to lure victims to them. Through deceit and catfishing, people are able to commit such crimes through the dating application.
A lot of the commentary surrounding online dating and the dangers that may come from it revolve around women and how they can stay safe online. These tips are all the same: don't give out personal information, if you're meeting someone, stay in public and never leave your drink unattended. Some sites even give tips on how to escape a dangerous situation once it is too late to avoid it. Tinder has its own set of safety tips on the website, broken down into different categories, from meeting people to sexual health.
Although the tips can be useful and might be useful, why are we focused on giving tips and creating Tinder dates gone wrong survival guides rather than finding and prosecuting the attackers? There are so many articles and newspaper postings about (specifically) women being attacked by Tinder dates or from ride-hailing applications, but there is a significant lower difference compared to the prosecution stories. Can we begin to break down the stigma surrounding sexual assault and supporting survivors of assault during the long and sometimes defeating legal battles of brining their abusers to justice?
What do you think of all these cases? What are some ways that people can start breaking the stigma surrounding sexual assault and other kinds of assault?
The statistics on Tinder murders are definitely terrifying, but I completely agree with you on the fact that the people getting murdered aren't the ones at fault here. Talking about Tinder/dating safety is something we take for granted: before I went to college, my mom would tell me to stay safe by telling me safety tips that her best college friend's dad would tell them (they called him Ranger Ed) - don't go anywhere alone, don't get too drunk, hold your keys between your fingers and/or take pepper spray and a whistle, don't walk through dark enclosed spaces, etc. I've been told similar things about ride-sharing services, too: my housemate Liza used to always remind me to text her the ID number and license plate of whatever taxi I got in on the way back from a night out.
ReplyDeleteI think breaking stigma in general involves bringing up difficult topics more often. I think even something like bringing up the point that it's not the victim's fault in any conversation about date safety is important. Same goes for all the "Ranger Ed" advice: as helpful as it is, sometimes I mention to whoever's saying it that there's only so much I can do to protect myself, and for the rest I have to rely on people not being killers, stalkers, etc.