Making New Connections Through Dating Apps? Tips to Stay Safe this Valentine's Day

As Valentine’s Day approaches, some of the 40 million Americans who use online dating services or dating apps will be looking to make new connections. Whether meeting someone online or off, it’s good to keep safety in mind. Sexual violence can happen to anyone, including those who meet through dating apps.

For the last couple years, RAINN has been working with Match Group, which owns Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid and more than 40 other brands, to help them improve safety across all their platforms. Tinder, for example, just launched its new Safety Center, and Match Group announced a partnership with Noonlight, a technology company that will provide additional safety features and emergency services to users.

"We've been impressed with the way Match Group is approaching safety across its products," said Scott Berkowitz, RAINN’s president, who serves on the Match Group Advisory Council. "They have come to us for ideas and advice on resources and the latest tech available and have been open to trying new things. The addition of Noonlight is a good step forward and a valuable component of their overall safety strategy."

Of course, no safety tip is a guarantee, but when meeting someone new, whether online or offline, it can be useful to keep a few precautions in mind. Check out RAINN’s graphics below for a few tips.

Everyone deserves to have healthy and empowering dating experiences. Though it can be helpful to keep these tips in mind, it’s important for anyone who experiences sexual violence — no matter how they met their date — to know that it wasn’t their fault. The National Sexual Assault Hotline (800.656.HOPE and online.rainn.org) is here to provide support, and is anonymous, free, and available 24/7.

To learn more, check out more of RAINN’s online dating and dating app safety tip graphics and information on what consent looks like.

Eight out of 10 sexual assaults are committed by someone who knows the victim.

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