Dating so called bad boys can be a real turn on for some women. In online dating, bad boys can be especially attractive because the woman does not have to deal with all of the baggage that goes with bad boy dating. A bad boy can be attractive in that he seems to be in charge of his own life, to be self confident. The fact of the matter is that a bad boy can also be filled with self loathing, rebellious, and a real boor once you get to know him. Younger women, especially women in their teens, may find “older men” attractive. They, usually, have jobs and live in the adult world as opposed to high school or college. In many societies it is common for there to be an age difference between men looking for a wife and women looking for a husband. But when an older man only feels secure dating a younger woman, as in a girl, there may be issues of insecurity lurking behind the good looks and bravado. There may also be a guy looking for younger girls who he believes will be easier to seduce.

However, the typical bad boy might be a guy who rides a motorcycle, drinks, smokes, and hangs out with people that your parents would not publically associate with. A bad boy may also like to live his own life by his own rules. That tends to get in the way of commitment and working on relationships. Dating bad boys like this either ends up with heartbreak or a lifetime of doing all of the emotional work of the relationship and hoping that he will eventually change. But why should he. Here may be the greatest danger in dating bad boys, giving yourself away to someone who is eternally self-absorbed and who will never really care about you.

Dating bad boys can be fun if you take care and don’t get emotionally involved, or pregnant. Bad boys (we are not talking about lifetime criminals here) can be interesting and fun. Guys who have lots of friends, men and women, can show you a good time and expand your world. Just don’t expect a guy who sleeps around with half a dozen women to quit having easy sex whenever he wants it in order to form a lasting relationship with you. Don’t expect a guy who leaves is job to travel across country at the drop of a hat to decide to change his life just because you have a crush on him.

Dating bad boys is not only the province of young girls. Middle age can become boring. A married woman who secretly dates online may limit herself to an internet “affair” or may choose to take the next naughty step and start dating bad boys for real. The best advice here, aside from turning off the computer and injecting a little life back into your marriage, is to carry condoms and protect your heart against breaking when you find out that mister amazing from the internet is a self-absorbed, out of work, lazy, slob who asks you for a loan on the second date.

There is an old saying that an empty bed is better than a bed with too many people in it. Dating bad boys often means dealing with all of their weaknesses, mistakes, resentment, fears, and, unfortunately sometimes, emotional and physical violence. We all like a little spice in our lives but take care when dating bad boys.