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Building Healthy Academic Communities Journal Vol. 3, No.1, 2019
© 2019 Scannell. This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
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Online Dating and the Risk of Sexual Assault to College Students
Meredith Jean Scannell
Center for Clinical Investigation Brigham and Women’s Hospital
ABSTRACT
Background: Advances in technology have created different platforms, such as online dating, where
college students can meet other people. One serious risk factor of using online dating is the risk of sexual
assault. Many sexual predators will use online dating as a method to connect with potential victims who
are often vulnerable and trusting.
Aim: This paper discusses the risk of sexual assault among college students who use online dating sites.
Faculty can be pivotal in educating students on the dangers of online dating and sexual assault. In addition,
faculty members are in a position to recognize signs students may be exhibiting after a sexual assault, offer
advice, and provide linkage to necessary services.
Results: Risk factors of sexual assault are explored in depth, including predatory tactics and the
vulnerability specific to college students. Provided are key safety tips for online dating as well as
recommendations regarding resources and reporting to law enforcement.
Conclusions: Online dating is popular among college students. Educating students in safety factors will
enable them to consider the potential dangers and risk of sexual assault. In addition, higher education
institutions must consider the needs of students and provide links to resources, support systems and
reporting mechanisms.
Submitted 13 January 2019: accepted 1 April 2019
Keywords: Campus sexual assault, online dating, apps, sexual violence, technology
Sexual assault is a serious public health issue. It is defined as “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs
without the explicit consent of the recipient,” including acts such as forced sexual intercourse, forcible sodomy, child
molestation, incest, fondling, and attempted rape (United States Department of Justice, 2016). In a national study,
19.3% of women and 1.7% of men have been raped during their lifetimes, and 43.9% of women and 23.4% of men
have experienced other forms of sexual violence including unwanted sexual contact and sexual coercion in their
lifetimes (Breiding et al., 2014). The latest National Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey
reported 431,840 cases of sexual assault in 2015 (Truman & Morgan, 2016). Rates of sexual assault rage from 6.0%
to 44.2% of college students (Fedina, Holmes, & Backes, 2018). More vulnerable to sexual assaults are first-year and
second-year students as well as female students who are disproportionately affected compared to their male college
student counterparts (Fedina et al., 2018; Sinozich & Langton, 2014).
Over the years, the use of technology and social media has become a standard activity among young adults.
Unfortunately, there has been a growing trend of sexual violence seen with the use of technology, often called
technology-facilitated sexual violence (TFSV) (Henry & Powell, 2018). TFSV includes both in-person and virtual
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35
sexual acts including, stalking, sexual harassment, dating abuse, pornography, sexual exploitation, and sexual assault
(Henry & Powell, 2018). The prevalence of TFVS is largely unknown, however, there has been an alarming increase
in national surveillance data in England with a six fold increase over five years of sexual assaults related to online
dating, with 25% of these victims between the ages of 15 and 19 years of age (National Crime Agency [NCA], 2016).
Research has found female college students are at a risk for TFSV, with 34% of female college students experiencing
cyberstalking, 28% receiving unwanted text and voice messages, and 21% receiving unwanted sexual images
(DeKeseredy et al., 2019). In another study, females who experience forms of technology-facilitated stalking and
received unwanted messages were more likely to report also a sexual assault (DeKeseredy et al., 2019).
ONLINE DATING
College students are vulnerable to sexual assault due to their unique circumstances and frequent use of online dating
sites. It has been found that more than 50% of college students use online dating (Beauchamp et al., 2017; Newett,
Churchill, & Robards, 2018). Reasons college students use dating sites and apps vary from entertainment purposes to
seeking new friendships, casual dating or sex, to seeking long-term committed relationships (Beauchamp et al., 2017;
Cobb & Kohno, 2017). Online dating allows for an increased possibility of finding someone with similar interests
more readily than traditional dating or in situations when traditional dating is not an option (Vandeweerd, Myers,
Coulter, Yalcin, & Corvin, 2016). The vast majority of college students will also try to make face-to-face connection,
with 83.7% of students will meet someone face-to-face after connecting with them online (Beauchamp et al., 2017).
One vulnerability that places college students at risk for TFSV is the amount of personal information that they
share on dating sites. When individuals join a dating site, they create a profile disclosing their personal information.
Some dating sites ask users a series of questions to gather more personal information, which may not have been
initially disclosed when creating the profile. Some questions are standard, such as favorite food or music, while others
are more personal such as one's religious or political views, and yet others are very private questions, which can include
one's sexual preferences or substance use histories (Cobb & Kohno, 2017). Some dating sites allow the users to
enhance their profiles by linking different social and non-dating online networks, which may allow for additional
personal information or photos to be shared between sites (Albury, Burgess, Light, Race, & Wilken, 2017).
Connections may happen which allows access to their more personal information, especially if other social media
platforms are linked, with additional personal details, and information about their friends and family made available
(Murphy, 2018; Albury et al., 2017). Other online sites and apps have a geolocation, allowing users who are connected
to each other to be notified if they are within a certain proximity of each other (Murphy, 2018).
The use of online dating services is an easy method for sexual predators to find potential victims (Powell & Henry,
2018). There is no method of determining whether individuals are dangerous or have a criminal history based on their
app profile (Abramson, 2014; NCA, 2016). It has been found that 47% of assailants who used online dating sites to
connect with their victims, also had a previous criminal conviction (NCA, 2016). Sexual predators can create an
anonymous profile and engage with potential victims under false pretenses (Goldsborough, 2017). Research has
shown certain characteristics, such as looks, pictures, interests, and place of living can be perceived as being
trustworthy (Jin & Martin, 2015). Some perpetrators will try to make their profiles more desirable and falsify their
appearance, age, or employment in efforts to appear to be a better dating candidate to attract others (Abramson, 2014;
Vandeweerd et al., 016). Over time, online relationships develop with emotional attachment and trust, thereby
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36
increasing vulnerability. This vulnerability and trust then is used against the individual who may be easily lured into a
position where sexual assault or other TFSV can occur (NCA, 2016). Often, the perpetrator will persuade the victim
to meet with in a few days of the initial contact in a secluded area, such as one of the individuals house, which has
been found to be where 72% of online dating sexual assaults occur (NCA, 2016).
One of the most significant factors associated with sexual assault among college student is alcohol consumption
(Lorenz & Ullman, 2016). The pharmacological effects of alcohol have been shown to reduce the perception and
judgement of sexual aggression, can render someone incapacitated, impair one’s ability to fend off a perpetrator,
impact one’s ability to make good judgements; the person is more likely to engage in risker behaviors as well (Fedina
et al., 2018; Lorenz & Ullman, 2016). Getting together for drinks is a common scenario for meeting someone in
person after an online connection is made. However, this can place a person in a difficult situation when meeting
someone whose intentions are not for just drinks and will take advantage of the situation, especially if alcohol is
involved, which can result in a sexual assault (Powell & Henry, 2018). Meeting in an environment where alcohol is
readily available and a social norm can increase one’s vulnerability for a sexual assault.
One area that has been identified in contributing to risk of sexual assault with online dating is the differences of
the expectations between the two individuals (NCA, 2016). Women are more likely to join a dating site seeking
friendships and relationships and men more like to join seeking sexual partners casual “hookups” (Newett et al., 2018).
Hookups are causal encounters between two individuals that involve varying degrees of sexual activities, from kissing
each other to having intercourse. Misinterpretation and different expectations also occur when a profile indicates that
they are looking for a serious relationship but are really looking for casual sex, thereby misleading the other individual
(Vandeweerd et al., 2016). With many dating apps, simple conversations can quickly escalate into a sexual nature.
These conversations can create an unequal balance for the actual desire for sexual activity when meeting in person
for the first time. Sexual messages via texting have been found to increase the risk for sexual assault (Dir, Riley, Cyders,
& Smith, 2018). The NCA (2016), found 52% of victims reported sexual conversations with the assailant prior to
their first meeting.
Another factor is the culture of hooking up. For some people, online dating is a method of meeting someone and
facilitating a hookup. While the activities involved in a hookup can vary, it always entails some sort of sexual act. Even
in cases where both parties were interested in hooking up, studies have found 75% of campus sexual assaults occurred
in the context of a hookup(Flack et al., 2016). Because of this, some students using a dating site for hooking up may
be increasing their risk of sexual assault.
DISCUSSION
College students have many unique circumstances which increase their vulnerability to sexual assault. The use of
online dating apps is popular among many college students. The risk of using online dating and sexual assault is often
not addressed in preventive efforts (Dills, Fowler & Payne, 2016). For some college students, navigating a new school
system, city, and state is a daunting task. If there is a student who had difficulty making friends or joining organizations,
online dating is an easy way to meet new people and try to mitigate the loneliness of not having friends or being in a
new city. Predators will often look for lonely people and prey on their needs to make connections and exploit them.
On the other hand, some students may have some experience with online dating in high school and can draw upon
learned self-protective measures. However, some students may come from small communities or backgrounds in
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37
which being a potential victim of violence is not a reality in their community, but is a risk in the college community.
leaving some students more vulnerable to predators.
Education is a necessary preventative component in addressing this problem. The majority of students will have
a mandatory educational training on sexual assault (Amar, Strout, Simpson, Cardiello, & Beckford, 2014). It has been
identified that the training should occur for all students on a yearly basis and to use social marketing campaigns to
increase awareness (Amar et al., 2014). The CDC recommends campuses incorporate principles of prevention to
provide educational trainings in various ways, such as in-person and with sexual violence information presented at
different times so that messages about sexual violence and available resources will reach students multiple times (Dills
et al., 2016). Information on online dating and TFSV should be included in educational trainings and include what is
helpful for students, such as the scope of the problem, gender dynamics, ways to resist sexual violence, the need for
reporting, and on and off campus resources (Amar et al., 2014). Other recommended training include teaching skills
kills to prevent dating violence, promoting healthy sexuality, and empowering and engaging students to promote social
norms that protect against violence (Dills et al., 2016).
With online dating, the perception of knowing someone is higher after sharing personal information and photos.
Some people do not fully consider the dangers of online dating, which can lower the threshold of suspicious behavior
and place them at risk for an assault (Beauchamp et al., 2017). In addition, even if there are safety concerns, college
students will continue to meet up with individuals they have connected with from online dating, even if they perceive
some safety concerns (Beauchamp et al., 2017). This creates a false sense of security and individuals may take risks
they normally would not with typical strangers such as meeting them in a secluded area or in their homes (NCA,
2016). Forensic nurses are in a key position to educate patients and the public on the risks of online dating and sexual
assault (see Table 1. Safety Tips to Consider with Online Dating).
Table 1
Safety Tips to Consider with Online Dating
• Be wary of dates that occur in isolated areas, such as an individual home.
• Avoid dates who do not use pictures in their profiles, or refuse to send pictures or details of
themselves over the app and will only do so outside of the app.
• Avoid or limit personal details on dating sites, as the individual is then aware of your address,
telephone number and other personal information.
• Do not be pressured into meeting an individual especially in a location which can isolate you.
• Avoid being pressured into changing the location of the date, especially if the date started in a
public place and the individual is insisting you change to a secluded location.
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• Meet a person from a dating app in a public place, where it is easy to leave such as a café or
shopping center.
•
Inform someone else, such a friend or relative, that you are meeting someone for the first time
and share that person’s profile so they are aware of who you are meeting.
• If the meeting is going poorly or making you feel uncomfortable, make a quick excuse to leave.
Do not linger and allow for an opportunity for the date to continue.
• If an individual doesn't want to meet in person after a period of time of correspondence, stop
the online relationship.
•
When sharing personal information, limit the amount of information so that it cannot be
searched on the internet; only give a first name or nick name when meeting a date for the first
time.
• Avoid linking social meeting accounts where your personal information and close contact
information can be shared or easily accessed.
• Avoid drinking alcohol or limit alcohol intake on your date.
•
Avoid going to a place of residence on the first few dates.
• Turn off the geolocation service on your profile so that you cannot be tracked.
Sources:
National Crime Agency. (2016). Emerging new threat in online dating, initial trends in internet
dating-initiated serious sexual assaults. Retrieved from https://www.west-info.eu/files/file3.pdf
Office of the Esafety Commissioner. (2016). Dating apps and websites. Retrieved from
https://www.esafety.gov.au/women/being-social/online-dating/dating-apps-and-websites
The federal civil law, Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972, requires higher educational institutions
to address sexual violence (DeMatteo, Galloway, Arnold, & Patel, 2015). The law requires employees within the higher
educational institution to respond appropriately to reports of sexual violence and to train employees in how to respond
appropriately to reports of sexual violence (DeMatteo, Galloway, Arnold, & Patel, 2015). The United States Task
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Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault issued recommendations to address sexual violence on campus as a
priority, includes services for victims (The White House, 2017). Despite the legal mandate, campus response and
polices in addressing sexual assault varies across institutions. One study found only 70% of colleges had information
on whom to contact after a sexual assault is reported (Sabina & Ho, 2014). In addition, even when there is a response,
some students have a negative experience after reporting an assault which can cause a secondary victimization and
negatively impact the recovery process (Orchowski, & Gidycz 2015). These system issues create a culture where
students don’t want to report a sexual assault. Khan, Hirsch, Wambold, and Mellins (2018) found only 8 out 89
incidents of sexual assault were officially reported. Training efforts for sexual assault prevention need to be targeted
to faculty and include information on the need to use a trauma-informed approach when responding to students after
an assault. A trauma-informed approach allows for an understanding of the impact of trauma has on the acute and
recovery phase, allowing for a culture of safety empowerment and healing (Miller, 2018). Future research must explore
reasons students do and do not report the sexual assault so that interventions and prevention efforts can be targeted
to what is working as well as exploring areas to develop different ways in which students can report as sexual assault
(Khan et al., 2018).
Unfortunately, many victims of sexual assault do not seek healthcare services such as a medical forensic exam
after a sexual assault (Khan et al., 2018). Many individuals will not seek out or talk about their dating experiences even
when services are available (Beauchamp et al., 2017). Beauchamp et al. (2017) found 87.27% of college students will
not discuss their dating experiences. One reason for not wanting to discuss or report a sexual assault is a protective
factor, which if the assaulted person does not label the act as a sexual assault, then they can believe that nothing
harmful occurred (Khan et al., 2018). Some college students do not report the assault due to fear of the perpetrator
and that they may be assaulted again or face retaliation (Schwarz, Gibson, & Lewis-Arévalo, 2017). The use of alcohol
has also been associated with a lack of reporting from students who believe that they will be blamed for the assault
due to consuming too much alcohol or may be blamed because they should not have been drinking alcohol to begin
with (Schwarz, Gibson, & Lewis-Arévalo, 2017). Services should be advertised and promoted on their confidential
and blame free nature, as these are often reasons students do not seek services.
Another reason for not reporting a sexual assault is related to the assaulted individuals’ perceptions of risks and
benefits; the risk to social life and academics often outweighed the benefits of reporting, and the added stress of
reporting the assault was not desirable (Khan et al., 2018). Reporting an assault may result in the complaint going
through the campus judicial process. The campus judication process is one method in which students can file a
complaint; it is an official campus process where the complaint is heard and judgements and outcomes are made.
There is no nationally standardized process in how a campus judication process occurs. Cases of sexual assault can
take place on campus which is heard at the judication board. Members of the judication board can consist of faculty,
students, administrators, and staff (Amar et al., 2014). The process is often difficult, and essential information needed
such as how to file a complaint, what the process consists of, whom can be present as well as what the burden of
proof is and possible outcomes of the complaint may not be available (Sabina & Ho, 2014). In addition, outcomes in
cases where a perpetrator is found guilty of a sexual assault may only result community service or a fine (Amar et al.,
2014). A need for institutions to have clear information on the judicial process is necessary so that an informed choice
for the student can be made if they want to proceed. In addition, the culture of the college must consider the secondary
victimization of students when reporting a sexual assault and use a trauma informed approach when creating policies
that address sexual violence.
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To date, little is known of the prevalence and associations with online dating and sexual assault in the United
States. Countries such as the United Kingdom have been monitoring sexual assaults related to online dating and have
seen a significant increase in the number of assaults (NCA, 2016). Collecting data on online dating related assaults
allows researchers to define trends, identify who is most at risk, and share what safety measures can be taken (NCA,
2016). Many official forms and mandatory forms in documenting sexual assaults do not reflect the advances in
technology and may need to be updated to obtain an accurate description of the prevalence of the problem
(Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 2016). Knowing how prevalent the problem is essential in addressing priority
areas. The issue may be a serious concern that needs to be addressed. In the United Kingdom, data have shown a
sharp increase in online dating related sexual assaults which allows prevention efforts to address this as a growing
concern (NCA, 2016). If local communities or health centers are not collecting this data, another avenue may be for
colleges and university to include this area when there is a report of a sexual assault.
Another consideration in collecting data is categorizing the assailant. For some individuals, the assailant may not
be viewed as a stranger as the online relationship may have occurred for a length of time (NCA, 2016). A new category
of how the assailant is categorized should be considered, as the individual may believe they know the person as an
acquaintance, perhaps as the result of trusting a false profile as the individuals is a stranger and not someone really
known to the individual. Even if national data is not collected in this manner, having local sites or state sites collecting
this information can allow for an awareness of how prevalent the problem has become.
CONCLUSION
Online dating is a popular activity in which many young people engage. For some, meeting someone new is an exciting
time, especially if you are looking for a relationship. However, online dating doesn’t come without risk. Knowing
possible risk factors and areas of vulnerability will allow young adults to make informed choices that improve their
safety. As employees in higher educational institutions, we are obligated to address these concerns. Addressing these
concerns requires an understanding of how prevalent the problem is, educating students on prevention methods that
are consistent with the technology they are using, and implementing resources that are sensitive to the unique
circumstances that college students face.
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Author correspondence may be addressed to:
Meredith Jean Scannell
Center for Clinical Investigation
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Boston, MA 02115
mjscannell@bwh.harvard.edu
