Risk reduction in online dating: Translating research to practice

Background: Older women report a variety of negative experiences when dating online, including financial exploitation, deception, verbal abuse, and unwanted sexual aggression. As a result, this study seeks to synthesize strategies older women report using to minimize online dating risk and apply these strategies to the formation of a health promotion and prevention model.

Methods: Risks and benefits of online dating were assessed through semi-structured telephone interviews (N=45) with women ages 50+ who seek relationships online within 50 miles of the zip code 33602. Interviews lasted approximately one hour and were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, team coded, and analyzed using ATLAS ti software.

Results: Content analysis of risks and benefits of dating online identified that many women learned about online risks through individual trial and error. “Lessons learned” included how to identify a scammer, strategies for a safe first meeting in person, and how to deter unwanted sexual messages. These recurrent themes highlight a need to address common online experiences prior to the initiation of online dating to reduce/avoid risks for adverse outcomes such as financial exploitation or unwanted sexual aggression. Conclusions: Health promotion efforts to decrease the online dating vulnerability of older women can incorporate strategies women currently use to minimize risk such as altering profile content to include warnings, identifying safe meeting places and exit strategies for in-person meetings, and recognizing patterns of behavior associated with false identities and scammers. How to integrate these strategies into a primary prevention program is discussed and avenues for intervention are highlighted.