Children as young as 12 are bypassing age restrictions to access online dating apps, potentially exposing them to adult content and dangerous liaisons, a new study has found.
The Flinders University study also found many teenagers thought it normal to be on adult dating apps, based on interviews with 46 who used the sites as minors.
With age restrictions relatively easy to overcome on sites including Tinder, Match.com, OkCupid, Bumble and Grindr, researcher Tahlia Hart said adolescents could be exposed to multiple harms.
"They may experience inappropriate online abuse and even encounter online groomers or become victims of statutory rape with adult users," she said.
"Some adolescent users had willingly met up with users offline to engage in a range of activities, sometimes criminal."
Ms Hart said children were not the only ones at risk, with adults potentially facing serious criminal charges if they unwittingly engaged with a minor.
The research revealed the motivation for many young people turning to dating apps included seeking friendships, romantic partners, sexual hook-ups, and exploring identity concerns.
"There was also clearly a desire by many to be entertained, as well as FOMO, a fear of missing out on activity in which their peers were seen or believed to be taking part in," Ms Hart said.
"For some, the taboo of engaging with adult sites was thrilling."
Researchers backed the use of more verification and identity checks and encouraged dating companies to continue their efforts to detect under-age accounts by monitoring and reviewing certain words and phrases.
But they acknowledged that also came with privacy issues, and would be difficult to manage, given the mobility of young users across various internet sites.
