They found that the main targets of sex offenders using dating apps were mentally ill users and male users. Courtesy of Getty Image Bank.
About 15% of sexual assaults in the US happened on dating apps. App users suffering from mental illness were more likely to be targeted, and it was also confirmed that there were more victims of male sex crimes.
A research team led by Julie Valentine, a nursing professor at Brigham Young University in the United States, revealed this through a paper published in the international journal ‘Interpersonal Violence Journal’ on the 29th of last month.
The research team verified the case content and health status of the victims through the 1968 health examination records of sexual violence victims aged 14 or older in Utah, USA between 2017 and 2020. The analysis found that 14.9% of all violent incidents occurred in the first meeting arranged through a dating app.
In particular, they found that people with mental illness have been the target of sex crimes using dating apps. 47% of victims of intimate partner violence suffered from mental illness, compared to 60% in dating app violence. They were attacked even more violently.
A high proportion of male victims was also typical of sexual assault cases involving dating apps. Male victims of sexual offenses involving a dating app were twice as likely as victims of intimate partner violence.
Professor Valentine, who conducted this study, explained, “On dating apps, sex offenders can package themselves as they want and say nice things to the other person,” and “through these actions, they can easily stimulate a meeting .” He continued, “In the case of victims, there are many cases where they don’t report it because they feel remorse after being assaulted at a meeting.”
He stressed that in order to prevent incidents of sexual assault in dating apps, the company providing the app should draw up counter measures. Professor Valentine suggested “Dating app companies can provide a service that allows users to check their criminal history for free or set up support measures to report cases of assault.”
