Online dating today has become the first-time meeting spot for the people. These dating sites bring strangers together and help them to develop long-term healthy relationships. However, there are certain sections of people who associate partner violence to dating apps. Let us find the truth despite knowing about the social media hazards.
Cyber-bullying
“Don’t blame modern dating apps for crimes, it’s people who commit them” -Nell Frizzell
Growth in communication in form of chatting and dating apps offers interactions among people. Sadly, it is also becoming a medium for the cyber-violence and cyber-stalking. Predictably, the women and minors are the easy-victims of these cyber-offenders.
Undoubtedly, the gender-based violence through cyber-bullying is prevalent, which may soon take up an alarming situation unless not controlled. Those women especially become soft targets who reveal more about themselves than necessary in the beginning of a relationship. Their naivety helps the shady characters to exploit them.
Dating apps, the game changers
Dating apps have certainly changed the lives of most of the single persons, who need someone to share their moments of solitude. These popular dating apps merge into the social structure, as millions use these sites.
Cyber related criminals are handful out of those millions visiting dating sites. However, bad but small news make bigger waves than the happy ones.
According to some sources, in 2013 about 55 crimes were reported those included cyber-stalking, horrifying violence, rapes, and even attempted murders.
This figure was inflated by 10 times in the next 2 years. As the visitors to these sites increase, so does the number of crimes too. The figure of crimes may be less in proportion, but it is alarming already and calls for more safety measures.
Gender-based crimes VS Dating sites
Dating sites are no different than what you experience in real-world. There are good people, smart people, conmen, bad people, women-beaters, and criminals living in society. All said, one does not stop living because of the grey shades in the society. Similarly, you cannot implicate dating sites for the crimes done using its platform.
Why one should not be hasty to draw conclusions regarding these sites
- Firstly, these dating sites are not encouraging shady activities, but their names are just dropped in by victims while reporting for someone’s wrong deeds.
- It will be harrowing for millions who throng these sites for dating & friendship, as already there is a lot of fear and mistrust in society regarding personal relations. This will be a wrong precedent to paint everything in grey. Interestingly, despite few news items related to cyber-bullying and cyber-stalking one hears, the sites like Tinder claims 9bn matches through their platform.
- It is inappropriate to draw any link of domestic violence to dating apps, although hypothetically these sites may hasten the exit from already in turmoil bad relationships.
- These dating sites are mentioned in either case of good or bad incidents. However, bad news makes better breaking news. Even Facebook and Twitter report a jump in criminal incidents through them. In short, you cannot implicate these apps, but you can look at an existing trend prevailing everywhere.
Conclusion
The facts and figures can be misleading although reactions highly understandable for sexual violence, abuse, and rapes. However, it is not always the strangers being culprits and wrongdoers in this context. Globally, according to statistics in home violence, 33% women some time or other have been the victims of domestic abuse and violence through the hands of their male partners.
Final words: Online Dating being blamed for rise in gender-based violence is a little far-fetched. The dating sites are exciting but women have to be careful before making their moves.
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