The Silent Epidemic: How Gay Men in South Africa Face Rising Violence in the Digital Age

Despite South Africa’s progressive legal protections for LGBTIQ+ individuals, violence against gay men and queer individuals remains a troubling reality that is increasingly facilitated by technology.

A groundbreaking study by Social Science researcher Marchant Van Der Schyff, published in Frontiers in Sociology on 14 February 2025, sheds new light on how online platforms, particularly dating apps, are being weaponised – primaraily against gay men, leading to alarming cases of assault, extortion, and even murder.

Van Der Schyff’s research highlights a disturbing trend: perpetrators are using apps like Grindr, Facebook, and Surge to lure victims into dangerous situations, often under the guise of a date or casual hookup.

Many victims find themselves ambushed, blackmailed with intimate images, or subjected to violent attacks. Young gay men appear to be particularly vulnerable, however there are multiple cases of older gay men who has fallen victim – therefore, no one is immune.

The study also explores the role of media in documenting these crimes. He cites MambaOnline, as a leading LGBTIQ+ news platform that has consistently reported on these incidents, ensuring that they do not remain hidden. However, mainstream media often downplays or isolates these stories, failing to recognise them as part of a broader crisis.

Perhaps even more troubling is the failure of law enforcement, which not only discourages victims from coming forward but also emboldens perpetrators to continue preying on the community without consequence.

In this in-depth interview, we speak to Van Der Schyff about his research, the dangers that gay men face in the digital age, and what needs to change to combat this growing threat. He delves into the intersection of technology, stigma, and violence, offering crucial insights into how to better protect LGBTIQ+ South Africans from targeted attacks.

What motivated you to focus on this research topic?

An acquaintance of mine, Gerhard Naudé, who stayed in the Brackenfell area [northeast of Cape Town], disappeared in 2023. His disappearance was one of quite a few cases I’ve heard of where gay men disappeared without any trace. Gerhard’s body was only recently discovered in a shallow grave on Devil’s Peak by hikers in 2024. I started conceptualising the victimology of gay men that makes their vulnerability unique – that is, what do gay male victims look like, what are the circumstances around their disappearance, attacks, extortions, and other violent acts perpetrated against them where their sexual orientation was the determining factor. I started joining ‘missing adult alert’ groups, The Pink Ladies, SAPS bulletin boards, and online gay community websites to collect data, and the more I read, the more concerned I became.

Are these attacks being sufficiently documented and reported in the mainstream media?

No. I could not find any information on the gay male disappearance case studies which initially interested me. For this reason, I adjusted my focus to include gender-based violence against gay males. Again, information in the media is sparse and the major challenges affecting the queer community, is anonymity and indifference. It would be difficult for the media to identify a case specifically as LGBTIQ+, unless thusly informed by non-profit organisations or loved ones.

Finally, although community media, such as MambaOnline, report on cases of queer targeted gender-based violence, the LGBTIQ+ community still struggle with stigma, shame, disenfranchisement, lack of reporting to- and secondary victimisation by the police, and isolation, which lowers its newsworthy appeal to mainstream media. When cases of queer targeted violence are recorded, mainstream media tends to make use of economy of scale and report articles posted on community websites.

What are the shortcomings in how these attacks are being reported?

Creating a need for urgency. Reports are often iterative, vague, and follow a general reporting framework. For example, The News24 report on finding the remains of Gerhard took a lot of the information from other news reports as well as the basic information (replicated) from the ‘Missing Persons’ reports in 2023. Therefore, nothing new; nothing on possible suspects, circumstances around the event, quotes from loved ones (except for the ones from the “missing” reports), investigating officers, or a call for information, etc.

There is a need for timely, accurate, actionable and interactive reports. There also needs to be a declaration of trends and clear recourse for reporting incidents. Finally, police as well as other officials charged with safeguarding the Constitutional protections extended to the queer community, need to be more visible in these reports: Who is taking charge, what are they doing, etc.?

What in your research and findings was most surprising or unexpected?

I did not expect technology to play such a big role in the vulnerability of gay men, although, in the way that many individuals, whether LGBTIQ+ or men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), connect with one another through dating apps (although, this is also a misnomer, and many should be called hookup apps) it is not surprising. A person’s phone is now being used against them as a weapon to lure, blackmail and extort. It is a new trend where criminals are targeting people, abducting them, emptying their savings (through banking apps) and reaching out to their contact list for ransom (an increase of 260% in 10 years). What makes gay male victims unique, is that dating apps, such as Grindr, are used to target subscribers and exploit their reluctance to report these cases, and their shame of friends and family finding out that they are gay or engaging in gay activities.

Is there sufficient awareness among gay and queer men about the potential dangers of dating apps and platforms?

I don’t think so. The rise in use of dating apps commodifies sex, relationships and connectivity in a community that, even with more liberties awarded, still live within a conservative cultural environment, and highlights the risk they are willing to take. Also, there are bespoke trends such as a rise in chemsex, global oscillating towards conservative family values (which is often a euphemism for homophobia) and frustrating gay rights movements, and civil inertia and couch activism. Although dating apps include ‘safety’ guidelines, flat out admitting that there is a danger in using their apps and vetting their subscribers more strictly is against their economic best interest.

Are gay and queer men more vulnerable to dating app attacks than heterosexual people?

Yes, heterosexual men are not excluded from the risks of dating apps as they may also be catfished, bamboozled, and targeted, however, gay men have additional challenges: Gay men are less likely to share details about their sexual behaviour with friends and family and therefore less likely to inform them when they are meeting someone they engaged with online. Gay men are less likely to report incidences of violence for the fear of reproach and secondary victimisation (some victims are taken back by police to where they were attacked and returned to the community where the attackers live). Although there is not a lot of literature on the unique way gay men initiate relationships, they are more predisposed to use psychotropic drugs when engaging in sex. And when using drugs, gay men then take more risks, such as going to an online stranger’s domicile. The motivations gay men have to use dating apps may also differ from those of their heterosexual peers.

Do you believe that homophobia plays a role in these attacks?

Absolutely, even though the intention of the attacks is financial – robbery, mugging, extortion, blackmail, larceny – the willful targeting, exploitation, and violence against a person identified as gay, bisexual, MSM, or any other queer identity is evidence of a prejudicial mindset. These attacks are not merely opportunistic: perpetrators need to create a profile on a gay website or app, mislead the subscriber they converse with the information and intentions they share, actively lure someone who they believe will not necessarily result in arrest, with low probability of recourse, and act out violence – often in a group – against someone they perceive to be physically weaker. Our perceptions of vulnerability as a precursor to acts of discrimination is well documented in intersectionality theory and criminology studies.

Do survivors have adequate access to support and assistance?

I believe there are many community specific social organisations, such as Access Chapter 2, with legal support, OUT LGBT Well-being, focused on lifestyle and healthcare, and PFFSAQ (Parents, Families and Friends of the South African Queers), which help in reporting and information sharing of GBV, however, they are very under resourced, are not visible where gay men are – such as bars, bath houses, clubs, and social gatherings – and do not have a representative on the official SAPS crime prevention boards.

Based on your research, are the authorities taking these cases seriously?

No. This is part of the problem. As an example, in my research I engaged with a young woman whose gay father was murdered. When following up on the case, the investigating officer responded very dismissively, which isn’t an uncommon comment from victims. This is an example of the homophobic behaviour and secondary victimisation from the police. Of course, there are police officers who take great pride and care in their work and are committed to helping gay male survivors – and the broader LGBTIQ+ community – but this commitment needs to be visible, relationships and trust need to be rebuilt, actions need to speak louder than words, and sensitivity training and representation needs to be prioritised.

What do you believe are the most important intervention/s to prevent or reduce these attacks and to support survivors?

I have outlined some of these earlier, but I think a few things may help: A better understanding of gay male victimology, and sexual behaviour in technological futures without judgement or shame through innovative and dedicated research.

Gay dating apps need to become more sagacious in their moral and ethical obligations. This could include more stringent subscription requirements, including a criminal check, better banning policies, options to send live locations to trusted others, partnering with a private security company for emergency response, etc.

Police engagement with the community – liaising with community organisations on effective prevention strategies, early warning and information sharing networks, sensitivity training, representation in SAPS, and encouraging the LGBTIQ+ community to report cases, and sharing information that could lead to the incarceration and dismantlement of criminal groups.

Peace journalism. In other words, offsetting stories on crime, violence, homophobia, murder, etc. with those of community building, and creating normative narratives of gay men and family to foster stronger foundational bonds.

Many non-profit community organisations can also benefit from adopting social media strategies, such as those by Pan-Arab activist groups in Lebanon, to reach victims as well as engage stakeholders in prevention programmes.

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Van Der Schyff’s study is a wake-up call. South Africa’s laws mean little if they are not enforced or if LGBTIQ+ individuals remain unsafe in their own communities. It’s time for a collective effort—from government institutions to civil society, media platforms, and everyday allies—to challenge the structures that perpetuate this violence.