Tinder Meeting Sparks Forced Fondling Incident at UMass Dartmouth
UMass Dartmouth sent out a memo to students Wednesday, alerting them to an incident of forced fondling on campus.
The incident took place Tuesday night in Maple Ridge Hall, after two students decided to meet in person after meeting on the popular dating app, Tinder. The female student reported she was touched inappropriately, but decided not to press charges.
Dr. Juli Parker, director of the campus' Center for Women, Gender and Sexuality, says though her understanding of Tinder is limited, it's seen by a majority of young people as an app for hooking up. "It could be easy to misconstrue a meeting out of Tinder if there are assumptions on either end, or that it was just for a sexual relationship," says Dr. Parker.
Dr. Parker adds most misunderstandings can be avoided by clearly stating your intentions before agreeing to meet someone in person after meeting them online.