Babcock, Nicole, Jose Mauricio, Skyler Wang, Ryan J. Watson, and Shannon D. Snapp. “How LGBTQ+ Young Adults Navigate Personal Risk in App-Based Hookups: The Safety Spectrum Theory.” Under review at Archives of Sexual Behavior.
The hookup literature is saturated with examinations of risky sexual health practices among LGBTQ+ young adults; yet, little is known about the cognitive and behavioral orientations to personal safety practices for LGBTQ+ young adults. By conducting one-on-one interviews with 50 LGBTQ+ young adults in British Columbia, California, and Connecticut, we developed a Safety Spectrum Theory, which uses a spectral measurement to assess how LGBTQ+ young adults negotiate safety practices and implement safety rules. This spectrum is then applied to a three-step sequence of application (app)-based hookup rituals, including online initiation, pre-meeting preparation, and in-person meet-up. Results indicated that situational factors dictated safety strategies, where individuals adapted to varying circumstances to safeguard their personal safety. We found that participants’ safety strategies may not be statically linked to identity factors, such as gender and sexual orientation, and varied in degrees of levels of safety depending on situational factors. We identified that participants moved across the spectrum depending upon contextual factors, such as the gender of potential hookup partners, and may fall on different ends of the spectrum in varying situations. From these findings, we provide evidence-based recommendations to make dating/hookup apps and public health campaigns more effective at mitigating hookup-related risks. As an example, stakeholders can better understand how safety measures are negotiated and executed through hookup apps.