Guides
- What Are the Pet Ownership and Custody Laws by State?
- What Is Jury Duty and How Does the Jury Selection Process Work?
- What Is a Verdict and What Happens After a Jury Delivers a Guilty or Not Guilty Decision?
- Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours, Complaint Laws, and How to File a Noise Complaint
- What Is Harboring a Fugitive and What Are the Penalties and Jail Time for It?
- Are Written or Verbal Contracts Legally Binding and When Should You Use Each?
- When Your Driving License Can Be Revoked and What You Can Do About It?
- What Are the Hunting Laws and Permits by State in the USA?
- Is Drunk Driving a Felony, What’s the Punishment, and How Many People Die From It?
- What is Domestic Abuse vs. Domestic Violence, and What Are the Differences?
- What is a Roommate Agreement, What Are the Benefits, and What Should You Include?
- What is Public Indecency, and What Are the Laws, Charges, and Penalties?
- What Are the Pocket Knives Laws, Legal Lengths, and Rules for Illegal Types?
- What is Aiding and Abetting and What Are the Punishments and Charges for It?
- Where Can You Be Naked in Public and Celebrate National Nude Day?
- What Is Child Custody and How to File for It Without an Attorney
- What to Do if Someone Has Stolen Your Driver's License Number and How to Replace It
- What is Bail Jumping: Punishments and Jail Time for Failure to Appear in Court
- Dating a Minor: Is It Legal and What Is the Age of Consent?
- How to Conduct a Dating Profile Search and Find Someone on a Dating Site
- What is Personally Identifiable Information and Why is PII Protection Important?
- What Is a No-Fault Divorce, When Did It Start and Why It Can Be Bad
- The Differences Between Moving And Non-Moving Violations
- What are Aggravating and Mitigating Factors in a Criminal Case?
- What Is ADR: Process, Meaning And Examples
- Definition and Differences Between Conspiracy Theories and Conspiracy Charge
- How to Get a Divorce: Process, Stages and Required Papers
- Embezzlement as a White-Collar Crime: Definition, Meaning, and Examples
- What Is a Car Registration, How Much Does It Cost and How to Get One?
- Types of Email Archiving and How to Retrieve Them
- How to Protect Your Car From Theft or Report It Stolen
- How to Organize and Protect Your Personal Documents?
- How to Find and Reconnect With Old Friends: Proven Techniques That Work
- Business Records: Types, Examples and How to Search
- Right to Privacy: Is It Protected By The Constitution?
- Ownership and Tenancy in Severalty in Real Estate
- What Different Types of Marriages Are There?
- Should You Believe in Age Gap Rules Calculation
- What Is Driver’s License Status and How To Check It
- What Is Civil Marriage: Pros and Cons
- Top 5 Most Famous Serial Killers Of All Times
- What Was The Subprime Mortgage Crisis
- Most Famous Murder Cases Throughout History
- The Dynamics and Consequences of Ghosting Someone in Personal Relationships
- What is Incarceration? Definition, Process, and Impact
- What is A Mortgage-Backed Security (MBS)
- Is AI Dangerous? Unveiling the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
- What is a VPN?
- 7 Cybersecurity Threats to Look Out For
- What Are Debtors and Creditors, and What Are Their Legal Rights and Differences?
- What Are the Types of Business Ownership and How Can You Transfer It?
- What is a Tax Lien, How Does It Work & How to Stop One?
- What is the Difference Between Civil and Criminal Cases?
- Property Ownership Types You Should Know About
- Community Safety Initiatives: How to Make Your Neighborhood Safer
- What is a Lien and How Lien Priority Works?
- Campus Safety 101: Essential Tips for a Secure College Life
- How to Know If Someone Is Divorced?
- What are the CCPA and CPRA?
- How to Get Over a Breakup?
- U.S. Violent Crime Definition & Statistics
- The 5 Steps You Should Know When Adopting a Child
- What Is Criminal Profiling and Is It Really Effective?
- A Full Guide on Reasonable Suspicion vs Probable Cause
- What Is Email Encryption & How to Encrypt an Email?
- What is a White Collar Crime? A Full Guide
- Rental Scams: How Do They Work & How to Catch Scammers?
- A Complete Guide on Parole vs Probation
- How to Submit a Data Removal Request and Hide Results About You on Google Search
- A Full Guide on House Arrests
- A Complete Guide on Marriage and Civil Union
- How to Safeguard Yourself and Deal with Marriage Debt
- What is Eyewitness Testimony?
- A Full Guide on Gentrification: Why is it a Problem?
- 8 Most Dangerous Twitter Scams and How to Avoid Them
- Pretexting Attacks: Common Types and How to Deal with Them
- How Do Zelle Scams Work and Things to Look Out For
- What Is Business Email Compromise, How to Defend Against It?
- What Is a Wellness Check, What Does It Consist of and How to Call For It?
- What Is a Temporary Restraining Order and How Do You Get One?
- What is Smishing And How to Prevent it?
- Spam Emails: Types and Ways to Block Them
- Email Masking & Masked Email Addresses
- Spot a Fake QR Code & Avoid Getting Scammed
- Common NFT Scams to Look Out For & Ways to Avoid the Fake Ones
- What to Do If You Witness a Crime?
- What Is Skip Tracing and How Does It Work?
- How to Avoid Common Venmo Scams and Protect Yourself From Scammers
- Can You Get Child Custody If You Have a Criminal Record?
- Common Amazon Scams and Ways on How to Avoid Them
- How to Find Liens on a Property?
- Multiple Bankruptcies: How Often You Can File One?
- How to Adopt a Child in the US?
- I Lost My Birth Certificate. What Should I Do?
- Warning Signs of Job Scams and How to Protect Yourself
- What Is a Ban the Box Law?
- What is Expungement?
- How to Transfer Property After Death Without Will
- What Is a Police Blotter?
- How to Appeal a Parking Ticket
- What Is a Clean Driving Record, How It Affects Insurance and How to Keep It Clean
- What is Title Washing?
- What is Extortion?
- How To Run a Motorcycle Title Search
- What Is a Digital Footprint?
- What is Anti Money Laundering (AML)?
- Guide on How to Get a Death Certificate
- What is the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)?
- What is Multi Factor Authentication?
- What is a Citizen's Arrest?
- How to Know that You’re in an Obsessive Relationship
- Guide to Online Survey Scams
- 13 Different Types of Police Officers
- Full Guide on Work-from-Home Scams
- Is Private Browsing Really Private?
- Different Types of Felony Classes & Charges
- What is Juice Jacking?
- What are Romance Scams?
- Traffic Offenses and Violations
- What is Doxing and How to Prevent it?
- What are Spam Text Messages
- The U.S. Death Penalty: History and Modern Usage
- What Are the Different Types of Bankruptcies and Which One Is Right for You?
- Common eBay Scams to be Aware of
- What Happens When You are Booked in Jail?
- What Information Can You Get From A License Plate
- Different Types of Assets
- How to Search and Find Family Members and Relatives Who Are Long Lost?
- Car History Guide, Benefits, Importance
- Am I Dating a Stalker?
- How to Find out if Your Partner is Cheating
- What Are the Types and Tools of Packet Sniffing Attacks?
- Intellectual Property Law and Rights
- Cyberstalking And Its Dangers
- A Guide to Phishing Scams
- What is Organized Crime?
- I’ve Lost My Driver’s License: What Should I Do?
- Misdemeanor Charges: Types, Classes, and Penalties
- A Complete Guide On Catfishing
- Vanity Phone Numbers: Why They Are Important and How to Get One
- What Happens When You Get Arrested
- Guide to Find Information About a Person Online
- How To Find And Claim Unclaimed Money
- What Happens if You Violate Probation
- Guide on How to Remove a Mugshot from the Internet
- How to Stay Safe on Public WiFi
- What Is an Outstanding Warrant and How Can You Check if You Have One?
- Different Types of Car Insurance
- What Is Cyptojacking?
- What Is Email Security?
- What Is the Deep Web and What Can Be Found There?
- What Happens When You Declare Bankruptcy
- How Divorce Settlements are Calculated
- What are Common Methods of Social Engineering
- What is the Difference Between a General Lien and a Specific Lien?
- How to Detect Odometer Rollback
- Different Types of Probation
- Finding forgotten life insurance policies
- What is Bearer Bond and Why the US Banned it
- Everything you need to know about small claims court
- Moral Turpitude: Definition, Examples, and Much More!
- Misdemeanor vs Felony
- How to Read a VIN Number and What It Tells You
- How to Find Out Who Hacked Your Cell Phone
- How Long Does a Misdemeanor Stay On Your Criminal Record?
- The Paypal Phishing Scam You Should Care to Avoid
- How Many Different Types of State License Plates Are There and Which Is the Standard One?
- Effects of Cyberbullying: Complete Guide for Parents
- What is the DPPA?
- Is Petty Theft a Misdemeanor and What Are the Consequences?
- What is a Life Sentence? Life in Prison
- Find out How to Check if Someone Has a Warrant Online for Free
- Is a Marriage Certificate the Same as a Marriage License and What Are the Differences?
- The Ten Most Popular Celebrity Mugshots
- How to Find Out if Someone is Married?
- How to Stop Phone Number Spoofing?
- How To Avoid Probate
- Dealing with abandoned vehicles in your neighborhood
- How to Find Someone's Cell Phone Number by Their Name
- Who Are the Worst Drivers in America?
- How To Find Unclaimed Money From Deceased Relatives
- What is a Digital License Plate?
- How to Find out if Someone Died?
- Murder vs Manslaughter: The Differences and Definitions
- How to Hire a Private Investigator?
- What Is a Number Neighbor?
- How to Find Out if Someone was Arrested
- How to Find Someone's Birthday?
- What is a Car Title
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- What is the Punishment for Filing a False Police Report?
- Prison Valley: Look inside Prison Town
- How to Get Custody of a Child Without Going to Court?
- How to Find Someone’s Social Media Profiles?
- What to Do if Your Phone Is Tapped?
- What Is a Deed in Real Estate?
- Where Was The First US Federal Penitentiary Established?
- Can You Track Someone's Location with Just a Phone Number?
- What Is a Restricted Phone Call and How to Block The Number?
- Who is the Most Dangerous Prisoner in the World?
- Poshmark Scams: How to Prevent and Report Them
- What to Do When Someone Is Missing: Practical Steps on How to Find a Missing Person
- How to Send Money to an Inmate in a Prison or Jail
- DUI vs DWI: The Difference Between DUI and DWI
- How Long After Buying a Car Do You Need to Register it?
- How to Find Someone's Address?
- What is an Ignition Interlock Device?
- What Is Situational Crime Prevention?
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- Gun Free Zone Statistics and Facts
- Online Threats and Digital Security: Trends, Types and Most Common Examples
- Cold Cases: Best Practices For Police Officers and Investigators
- Court Order: Definition, Types and Examples
- What Does a Fingerprint Background Report Show?
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- How to Calculate Child Support
- Property Rights: Definition, and Characteristics
- 12 Common Reasons for Public Records Request
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- Neighborhood Watch Program
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- Crime Mapping
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- Veterans Guide to Cars and Driving
- U.S. Correctional System: Structure, Incarceration and Facts
- License Plate Laws in the US
- How to Find Out If Someone Is in Jail?
- Email Hacking: Laws, Penalties and Protection
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- How to Look up Immigration Inmates?
- Famous Prisons in the USA
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- How to Search for Your Family Tree?
- The Federal Judicial Center
- Mass Incarceration in the USA
- What is COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)?
- Data Safety After The Capital One Breach
- Scholarships Guide for Students
- Complete Guide to Student Safety
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- Determining Divorce: 5 Types of Divorce You Must Know
- Sex Offenders: Complete Guide to be Protected
- New Privacy Laws and Public Records
- Motor Vehicle Registration in the US
- Digital Token Age: Security Laws and Regulations
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- What Shows up in a Background Report
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- Protecting Yourself from Phone Scams
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- Starting a Business and Business Licenses
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- Car Theft in the US: Statistics and Facts
- Identity Theft Passport Program
- Changing your Name after Marriage: What You Need to Know
- Finding the Perfect Roommate: Dos and Donts
- What to Do in a Car Accident?
- Property Crimes: How to Burglar Proof Your Home
- Consumer Laws in the US: What Do They Mean for a Customer and a Business Owner
- Child Trafficking: The Scope, Understanding, and Prevention
- Business Assets: A Guide to the Financial Health of your Business
- Guide To The College Application: How, When and Where to Apply
- Which States Have “Stand Your Ground” Laws?
- Adolescent Depression Symptoms and Causes
- Things to Know About the U.S. State Department Travel Advisory System
- Inheritance in the US: With & Without a Will
- Online Dating Safety Guide for Men and Women
- Sexual Abuse in the U.S.: Laws and Statistics
- Supporting Children After Divorce: Child Custody Options
- Halloween Horrors Come to Life: Holidays Crimes in the U.S.
- Charity Scams in the U.S.: Be Aware and Protected
- Webcam Hacking & Spying in the US
- Freedom of Religion in the U.S.
- Senior Financial Scams: How are the Elderly Targeted and How to Avoid It
- Catcalling: Is it illegal? How to Deal With It
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- Concealed Carry: How to Protect Yourself on Campus
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- How Much Is My House Worth? Ultimate Guide to Home Buying and Selling
- Traits of Sociopaths, Are They Dangerous and How to Deal With Them?
- Who Are Your Neighbors and How to Find Out About Them
- Learn How to Find Your Birth Parents
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- Keeping Your Neighborhood Safe For Your Family
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- A User's Guide to Warrants
- What to Do When You Are Stopped By the Police
Should You Believe in Age Gap Rules Calculation
What is the Age Gap Rule, the dating guideline that says your mate should be within Half Your Age Plus 7?
About half of all American adults are single -- a stunning 127 million people -- and studies show that more than 15 percent of them, or about 15 million, are seeking someone to date. In 2024, that means most will turn to online dating for matchmaking, a frontier like the Wild West that has no rules.
Selective Criteria in Online Dating
Most people on dating sites narrow their focus by setting criteria, such as:
- Geographic distance
- Common interests
- Age
- Employment status
- Religion
- Children
Limiting the geographic range makes sense because it’s difficult to date someone who lives in another state, whom you’d have trouble seeing very often. Their religion is a personal choice but can affect a budding relationship if, for instance, there’s a prohibition on premarital sex or if one partner believes women should be subordinate to men. The presence of children in one partner’s household can be onerous because it can be challenging to find time for a new relationship when raising your family.
Age is an evergreen issue for those dating. If women date younger men, they’re called cougars, but if men date younger women, it’s considered a normal part of society – unless the age gap is significant or the female is underage.
The only legal issue in dating someone younger concerns the age of consent for the state where they reside. Most states set the age between 16 and 18, with Washington adding the caveat that school teachers cannot date students under age 21. This law is enforceable, unlike the age gap rule.
Online dating safety is frequently criticized for enabling stalking, something that is rightfully earned. It’s expected that adults of the same age will pursue one another, yet it becomes concerning if a much older person becomes obsessed with someone younger and less experienced. For this reason, young people may be discouraged from dating someone older. The younger partner may be dazzled by the older person’s financial position and ease in society, making them ripe for an unbalanced relationship that focuses on the older person’s ego-stoking.
The Science of Age and Compatibility
Recent studies determined that harmonious relationships result when the partners have similar interests and pursuits. It may be true that “opposites attract,” but maintaining a relationship after the initial attraction is the challenge. Short-term attraction is easy to come by, while long-term, sustainable relationships can be hard.
The age gap rule says people shouldn’t date when their ages are more than half the difference in years, plus 7. That means a 50-year-old man shouldn’t date a woman under age 32, and a 40-year-old person shouldn’t date someone under age 27. There’s an underlying assumption of dependency, such as in “sugar daddy” relationships.
Sparks fly with flirtation, such as when a young woman is courted by an older man whose financial assets are on display in flashy cars and trips. But when one partner wants to dance until dawn, and the other seeks a reasonable bedtime and a decent night’s sleep, flirtation wears thin.
A long-term, stable relationship is a combination of factors, from the ability to have a conversation about topics of mutual interest to sexual compatibility to similar approaches to life: hardworking vs. laid back, striving vs. slumming.
These factors slant successful dating in favor of those of similar backgrounds, education levels, income levels, political views, and ages.
Age Gap Relationships Myths and Stereotypes
Men dating young women is the stereotypical issue in relationships, but there are plenty of young men dating older women because they don’t want the pressure of having children or perhaps seek the wisdom of a partner who won’t pick fights over a messy kitchen.
Myths about the age gap in relationships is that it’s a hard and fast rule. Yet some people just don’t develop strong goals for themselves over a lifetime or care enough about world affairs to have a conversation about it. That can be the case if a person is 25 or 55.
The Interplay of Life Stages
Whether to have children is a common stumbling point in relationships, only when one partner is significantly older than the other. Meeting a person, finding comfortable compatibility, and doing things together are only part of the picture. Major life events always impact relationships and amplify age differences, including:
- Career advancement.
- Purchasing property.
- Saving vs. spending.
- Illness.
- Retirement.
- Caring for elders.
Emotional Intelligence and Communication
Emotional intelligence and communication go hand-in-hand in relationships. This means having the maturity to understand the other person’s point of view and to realize the impact that decisions and actions have on that person. Communication is a two-way street in a relationship; it’s a skill that both parties should possess for a successful relationship because one person with the ability to communicate, even when creatively phrasing information in ways that the other can understand and digest, is not a conversation that shares meaningful thoughts and ideas.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to measure a person’s emotional intelligence and communication skills when viewing dating profiles online. Is an older partner more likely to be emotionally intelligent? That’s an assumption. The only way to know is to spend time with the person and weigh whether their relationship skills are acceptable to you. In the context of dating a stalker, it's crucial for an adult partner to recognize when you require a sympathetic ear and to respond with kindness and empathy to your needs, ensuring a healthy and supportive relationship.
What is The Half Your Age Plus 7
The Age Gap Rule means that one partner should not be more than half the age plus seven years older than the other. This rule is arbitrary, yet has some credibility due to the ability of most people to relate to those significantly younger and because compatibility is enhanced when a couple shares similar interests, goals, and stages in life.
Half Your Age Plus 7 Origin
The dating rule regarding the difference in ages is attributed to a 1901 French book that suggested the optimal age of a marriageable woman should be half the age of a man plus seven years. It’s recently been turned around to reflect a minimum age rather than an optimal difference in years. The information gets rehashed online frequently for clickbait, but it’s no more credible or based in science than it was in 1901.
Applying the Rule in Modern Relationships
Modern relationships are more concerned with emotional maturity and communication than a simplistic “rule” for dating, although it could be a good ice breaker for conversations. In the modern age, we have access to a much wider range of potential mates due to the internet and the variety of dating websites. It’s still a lot of work to sift through people whose general criteria fit with expectations and desires, but the playing field has been leveled somewhat by technology. Young women no longer wait to be “picked” by a worthy mate. They are able to set their own standards and choose the most compatible partner for themselves.
Critiques and Limitations
If one looks at financially independent women in Hollywood, the recording industry, and show business as role models for dating, it’s clear that most choose a partner who is near their own age over seeking an older companion. These are women who travel widely, have the means to support themselves, and often speak for their generation. A 124-year-old “rule” made up by an author using no scientific basis or facts pales in comparison to dozens or hundreds of solid matches on public display.
Conclusion
There is no specific law dictating an age gap rule in dating, as long as the younger individual has reached or surpassed the age of consent for their state. That leaves people to their own devices in finding a partner that seems right for them, whether older or younger, the same religion or different, and messy or tidy.
FAQs
What is a Good Age Gap for Dating?
The age gap depends entirely on the couple in the relationship. Some may find kinship with people much younger or even much older. But if you want someone who can sing along with your favorite radio station in the car or remembers when man first walked on the moon, it’s best to look within a few years of your own age.
Do Age Differences Impact Long-Term Compatibility?
Any factor can impact long-term compatibility. An age difference in a relationship can be a clear issue in compatibility, or it can be subtle, bubbling to the surface only during major milestones like one partner’s retirement while the other still has a decade to work.
What is the Legal Age Gap for Dating?
In the United States, there is no legal limit on the age difference between people in a relationship as long as both are above the age of consent. Even so, in several states, there are exceptions to the age of consent that allow parents to approve the marriage of a child under 16 to an older person.
What are the Potential Advantages of Age-Diverse Relationships?
For open-minded people, a wide age gap can be an opportunity to discover and share exciting things with their willing partners. If the older person is open to learning new dances or raising children late in life, a couple with a major age difference can bridge any issues that arise