Tinder is ?? ??? ??changing the way it handles reports of sexual violence and harassment with the aim of providing better support for survivors.

The dating app worked with U.S. anti-sexual assault organisation RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to develop the redesign of this trauma-informed reporting process, which aims to give survivors "more agency over what step they want to take next," per a press release from the company.

The new changes include significant improvements to the reporting process, improved access to survivor resources, and education for internal teams at Tinder.

What's new

A new screen has been introduced in the reporting process asking "are you or the person involved in a safe place?" and recommends contacting local authorities if required.

It's now easier to report someone you've unmatched from. Experts at RAINN identified that seeing a former abuser in a match list can be triggering and traumatising. In view of that, Tinder has changed its reporting system to let users unmatch while still easily reporting directly within the app. Previously, members have always been able to report members they've unmatched from, but it's now much easier to do so within the app, rather than doing it in an out-of-app browser experience. This is also helpful in instances where abusers have already unmatched from the survivor in an effort to make it more difficult to be reported.

There is now also more choice and transparency for those making reports. This acknowledges that many survivors do not report abuse or harassment straight away and some might not want to receive a follow-up from Tinder's support team. There is now a more direct way to report a member you've unmatched if you've decided to wait to make a report.

Why does this matter? Per Tinder's announcement, "many survivors don’t report what happened to them immediately — being able to unmatch an abuser and yet still easily report when they’re ready is critical. Members should feel confident they can hold someone accountable, even if they have unmatched, so we have created a more direct way to report directly in the app."

For survivors of sexual violence, the process of coming to terms with what's happened is extremely personal. In many instances, it can take a long time for survivors to realise or accept that something that happened to them constituted sexual assault or rape. Some people may never label their experiences as rape or assault — something academics refer to as "unacknowledged rape." The disparity between cultural stereotypes about rape (for example, the violent stranger rape) and the reality of sexual violence makes it difficult for people to identify when sexual violence has happened to them. For these reasons, it's vital that survivors have more options than simply reporting abuse immediately after it has occurred.

Within the seven-page reporting process, users will now find a progress bar along the top, that lets them see how much of the form they've completed.

There's now the option of reporting individual images or messages. When reporting, there is now unlimited space for providing details about what's occurred, so users can include as much, or as little, detail as they choose.

Users can now decide whether or not they want to receive any follow-ups on the report they've submitted. If users would prefer to close the loop, they can opt out of any further communication.

There's also a final review screen in the reporting process. This means members can check everything they've included in the report and add extra information should they wish to.

Users will also have easier access to to different support options. The change acknowledges that not every survivor is comfortable making a report. Users can now find a variety of different support options in Tinder’s Safety Center, which is now accessible from most places in the app.

Trauma-informed training for staff

Every member of Tinder's customer care team has now taken part in a new training developed with RAINN designed to equip staff with the awareness of how survivors process and report abuse and harassment. They've also been trained to identify serious abuse from reports that include vague language, in addition to what the appropriate response should be to these types of reports. Tinder has made the training a mandatory part of its onboarding of Tinder's member care teams.

"Our members are trusting us with an incredibly sensitive and vulnerable part of their lives, and we believe we have a responsibility to support them through every part of this journey, including when they have bad experiences on and off the app," Tracey Breeden, VP of Safety and Social Advocacy for Tinder and Match Group, said in a statement emailed to Mashable. Breeden added that working with RAINN has enabled the app to take a take a trauma-informed approach to supporting Tinder users affected by harassment and assault.

Clara Kim, Vice President of Consulting Services at RAINN, said that the adoption of these support practices will make Tinder "better positioned to support members who may have experienced harm and take faster, more transparent action on bad actors."

Tinder has a number of safety features that users can make use of. Last summer, Tinder committed to making ID verification available worldwide, allowing users to verify their identity by uploading a photo of documentation. When users receive potentially offensive messages on the app, a message that reads "does this bother you?" will automatically appear, providing the recipient with the option of reporting the user for their actions. Tinder says this feature has led to a 46 percent rise in the reporting of harassment. Similarly, the "are you sure?" feature asks senders is they're sure they want to send a potentially offensive message.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.