In the week where the National Crime Agency have announced that Online Dating crimes have more than doubled between 2013 and 2015 and with the Jason Lawrence rape case trial ongoing at Derby Crown Court, where it is alleged that 5 victims he met on Match.com were raped and 2 others sexually assaulted, we analysed the crime statistics that the NCA made available and it is sad to see that using the larger and nationally or even internationally known brands such as Match.com, Plenty of Fish or Badoo, offers no additional protection at all.
Between 2013 and 2015, according to the National Crime Agency, 828 cases of crimes involving online dating were reported, this included 88 cases of rape, 49 sex attacks, 180 violent crimes, 115 cases of harassment and 43 of blackmail, most of which came from the best known branded sites such as Plenty of Fish which led the way in terms of numbers, with 63 cases reported in total, including 8 rapes and 5 sex attacks. Badoo was in second place and was in involved 17 cases, including 2 rapes, with Sugardaddy.com, Fitlads.net, Outoftownaffairs and Flirtfinder all being involved in rape cases too.
Surely there has to be a better way of way of meeting people than this and we asked Julie Lazarus of Searchmate to comment on the current situation and the NCA’s statistics. Said Julie “I find those statistics awful, they are far, far worse than I expected and I really feel saddened for the victims, who’s only mistake has been to try to find happiness by trying to meet a partner. It does however really vindicate the more cautious approach we take at Searchmate, where all members are interviewed, ID checked and vetted before we would ever accept them as a member, making Searchmate one of safest ways to meet new partners across the UK.”
If you would like to receive advice on dating safely and the services offered by Searchmate, then you can get in touch with Julie Lazarus on 0800 644 4160 or by completing the contact form within the site. The consultation is always free and completely without obligation.
Why Have You Struggled With Dating So Far?
Dating tends to be an area that a lot people struggle with and it’s also quite a strange fact when you think about it. For example, we go around meeting new people all the time. We are all human beings, so we are social creatures by default but yet when it comes to meeting people of the opposite sex we tend to struggle.
So the question is, what has caused you to struggle with this area of your life? It is an important question to think about because look at it this way, there is certainly something that has caused you to struggle with this area of your life. It could be anything ranging from something as simple as not having the time to devote to this area of your life. This is an understandable especially in today’s busy modern world where so much emphasis is placed on careers and working hard.
It is only natural that dating can tend to be left behind compared to other areas of your life. Maybe it’s not due to the demands of your work life, maybe it’s something else entirely. Maybe it’s just that you genuinely struggle meeting someone you would have a strong connection with. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence in yourself. Maybe it’s even some fears you have internally that are holding you back?
Whatever it is that has caused you to struggle thus far, it needs to change if you want a serious chance at finding love. We can help you find love through one of our personal matchmakers. Our experienced personal matchmakers will craft a winning profile that will help you identify your ideal partner. Everything is discrete about our service. Your information will never be made public and you will also have the peace of mind knowing that all our members are personally interviewed and vetted for before we accept them into our membership.
So once you’ve approved your profile, we’ll help you to find someone you can share your life with. We’ll work with you to help you understand any concerns and problems you may have with your dating life. If you are sick and tired on struggling with this area of life then get in touch with us today. Your chance at love may be only a phone call away.
Most people have great expectations about how their new date is going to pan out. You will meet, look into each other’s eyes, feel that special ‘knowing’ and boom, you will fall in love instantly. The conversation will flow effortlessly; you will sit there thinking ‘How come I have not met you before’ and you will feel like you have known one another for a life time, rather than a moment. Its way better than one of those childhood fairy tales isn’t it? Let’s look into it a bit. Dating… Expectations VS Reality
Have you ever met a date and in a split second wondered ‘why am I here, why did I agree to have this date!’ Awkward body language, small talk and knowing looks of the wrong kind make you want to run and hide. You try so hard not to but you find yourself clock watching and then you make an excuse to leave early because of some sort of ‘emergency’.
Should you have expectations? Are they useful?
What’s wrong with treating each new date as a new opportunity to meet a unique individual and arrive with NO expectations at all?! At least it eliminates the chance of disappointment and allows you to just enjoy yourself, whether it’s meant to be or not.
Why can’t we all live more fully in the moment and cherish that life is about blessings and lessons? At the end of the day we’ll never know which it is unless we try. So try taking your next date as it comes. If it doesn’t work out, oh well! Move on to the next date.
Surely it’s more helpful to us to enjoy our experience by having no particular expectations than to have too many positive or negative ones, that’s not great at all is it?
Enjoy life and have fun!
Sophie
x
