Study finds 99% of heterosexual women surveyed face dating app harassment
Researchers studied 1,008 heterosexual women. 99 per cent of them encountered harmful behavior on dating apps in the past three months.
Research by the Behaviour Insights Team found almost all heterosexual women surveyed reported harmful experiences on dating apps. The harms were widespread.
95 per cent encountered emotional abuse such as love bombing and gaslighting. About 89 per cent experienced monitoring or surveillance.
88 per cent received unwanted sexual images or were pressured to send them. Almost six in ten reported behavior that was controlling and scary.
It included threats. Women told researchers how they stay safe.
They often screen profiles for warning signs. They hold back personal information.
They carefully manage their conversations. One Brisbane woman described being stalked by a man she met on an app.
She said she couldn't easily report him. The app's block feature erased her evidence.
Researchers say dating platforms should stop harm, not individual women.
- 1,008 heterosexual women
- Women surveyed
- 99 percent
- Harmful behaviour encounters
- 95 percent
- Psychological abuse
- 89 percent
- Monitoring or surveillance
Why it mattersDating app safety depends on women protecting themselves, not platforms building protections. This leaves gaps for abuse.
AustraliaMillions of Australian women use dating apps. Proposed government rules could require platforms to do more to prevent harassment and abuse.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 15 d ago
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