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Match made in Heaven (or Hell?): Understanding the High Incidence of Tinder Rapes in Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 February 2025

Josep Sayeras Open the ORCID record for Josep Sayeras [Opens in a new window]  and
Rita Rueff-Lopes Open the ORCID record for Rita Rueff-Lopes [Opens in a new window]
Josep Sayeras
Affiliation:
Esade - Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain)
Rita Rueff-Lopes*
Affiliation:
Esade - Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain)
*
Corresponding author: Josep Sayeras; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

A recent report revealed that 21.7% of women in Spain who went on a Tinder date were raped. These findings suggest that the incidence of sexual violence on Tinder dates in Spain may be higher than in other social contexts. This study explores the experiences of Tinder users in Spain to understand the factors contributing to this phenomenon and to propose measures for enhancing user safety. We conducted four focus groups separated by sociodemographic characteristics that replicated the typical victims’ and perpetrators’ profile (age and gender). Male participants initially expressed disbelief and attributed the phenomenon to Tinder’s environment, pathological behavior, pornography, and women’s actions. In contrast, female participants accepted the statistic as reflective of real-world issues, dismissing pathological explanations and highlighting systemic victim-blaming, fear-induced paralysis, and the impact of pornography as key factors. The findings underscore a significant disparity in perceptions between genders, with males often minimizing or misattributing the problem, while females recognizing deeper systemic issues. These insights suggest a need for targeted interventions and policies that address both the behavioral and perceptual factors contributing to sexual violence on dating platforms.

Keywords

Focus groupsonline datingrapeSpainTinder
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 28 , 2025 , e2
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de la Psicología de Madrid

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