Meeting safely & harm reduction

Before you meet

• Verify who you're talking to. Move to a quick video or voice call, or ask for a casual photo in the moment. Be wary of profiles that rush you, dodge verification, or seem too good to be true.
• Tell a friend. Share who you're meeting, where, and when you expect to be done — a simple "check on me at 11" goes a long way.
• Meet in public first where you can, and make your own way there and back so you're never reliant on someone else for a lift home.
• Agree the basics in advance — what you're into, safer sex, and any limits. See consent & boundaries.

While you're there

Trust your gut — if something feels off, you're allowed to leave, no explanation owed. Keep your phone charged and on you, know where the exits are, and keep an eye on your drink. If chems are part of the picture, go slow and look out for each other — our substance use & chemsex guide has detailed harm-reduction and G-safety information.

Images, privacy & sextortion

Sharing intimate pictures is common — and your call. If you do, think about what's in frame (faces, tattoos, backgrounds) and remember you can set boundaries about screenshots. Sharing someone's intimate images without their consent is abuse, and in Ireland it's a crime under "Coco's Law" (the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020). If someone is threatening to share images unless you pay or do something — that's sextortion, and the advice is the same every time.

You can also act on the images themselves: StopNCII.org can help prevent intimate images being shared across participating platforms, and Hotline.ie takes reports of image-based abuse and works to get content removed.

See also Consent & boundaries, Trans & non-binary resources, and Substance use & chemsex support.