Dating is very different today than it was ten years ago. Many women are meeting people online and don’t really know the person they’re meeting for a date.

The only thing you know is that the person on the other end has access to a computer.

Best Practices for Online Dating

• Set up a separate email account for your dating profile.
• Don’t reveal any of your personal information.
• Have an online dialogue to look for red flags.
• Don’t allow him to send you a gift, because you don’t want to reveal your home address.
• Develop a series of questions (where he grew up, his line of work, first car, etc.) and look for deviations.
• Google search his name. Does it come up on other dating sites?
• Any lie is an indication there is a problem.
• How he treats other people is a good indication of how he will treat you.
• You can make a better assessment in person than you can online.

Meeting Dates in Bars

• Always consider the bartender is working in concert with someone else. Watch them closely.
• Turn down drinks that you haven’t seen prepared.
• Make sure someone else knows as much about your date as you do. 
• Take a clandestine photo of your date. Share it and your meeting place with your best friend.
• Do not let your drink out of your sight. If you lose sight of it, dump it.

Date Rape: Current Drugs Available

• Alcohol: decreases inhibitions, readily available, changes perceptions, neurotoxin, diminishes your ability to fight back.
• Rohypnol: manufactured in Mexico in pill form, 10x more powerful than Valium, can incapacitate you when mixed with alcohol.
• Ketamine: legal only for veterinary use, can be injected or put in a drink.
• Gamma-Hydroxybutyric Acid (GHB): prominent in Southern states, was legal in health food stores, mega-doses induce heavy sleep, respiratory suppressant.
• Anything in the medicine cabinet that’s a suppressant or depressant given in large doses.

Revenge Porn Safety

• If you’re underage, just don’t request or send compromising photos.
• Just don’t send nude photos. An ex-lover will be the one who shares it to shame you.
• Use a flashlight in a darkened hotel room to look for hidden cameras before getting frisky.

Live your best life. Learn the red flags and stay aware. Vigilance will help protect you from predators.

Listen as Steve Kardian joins Dr. Pamela Peeke to share important tips on safety in the modern dating world.

Sponsor:

Smarty Pants Vitamins