Navigating safety on dating apps: The hidden labour of ‘safety work’

• In Event: Technology-Facilitated Violence: Harms, Attitudes and Victimisation Experiences

Abstract

‘Safety work’ refers to the hidden labour that (usually) women carry out to minimise the risk of experiencing violence in public spaces. This presentation will explore how people navigate safety when using dating apps, and how engagement in strategies may differ in relation to interactions online and offline. Interviews were conducted with 25 Australians who use dating apps. Dating apps improved perceived safety for many participants, affording them agency and control over interactions. Participants described numerous safety work practices, including verifying the identity of a person, vetting procedures, setting sexual and non-sexual boundaries, meeting people in public locations, and sharing location details with others. For women, the perceived risk of experiencing sexual violence was omnipresent, and safety work practices were enacted specifically to mediate this risk. For gender and sexuality diverse participants, the risk of experiencing sexual violence was coupled with the risks of experiencing other forms of violence, such as biphobia, homophobia, and transphobia. Gender and sexuality diverse participants were therefore managing concurrent risks when interacting with other platform users. Findings highlight the ongoing, hidden, gendered, and intersectional nature of safety work, and will be discussed in relation to the role dating apps in improving perceived safety.

Author

• Elena Cama, University of New South Wales