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Romantic Relationships In Adolescence

1002 Words5 Pages
Little empirical research on adolescent romantic relationships existed a decade ago. Presently, there has been some extensive research on adolescent romantic relationships as an emerging issue but further research is still needed on the concept to cover all areas. Adolescent romantic relationship is a common trend among adolescents in all societies though some societies acknowledge it more than others.
Some authors have defined romantic relationships as mutually acknowledged on-going voluntary interactions; in comparison to most other peer relationships, romantic ones typically have a distinctive intensity, which is usually marked by expressions of affection and current or anticipated sexual behavior (Collins, 2003). This definition applies to both heterosexual and same gender relationships. It is important to recognize, however, that the study of adolescent romance entails more than examining the characteristics of specific dyadic relationships. (Furman and Collins, 2007).
It has been established that romantic relationships are more common during adolescence than people normally assume. For example, more than half of U.S. adolescents report having had a special romantic relationship in the past 18 months (Carver, Joyner, and Udry, 2003). Most people have been known to have characterized their adolescent romantic relationships as short-lived and superficial.
Aside romantic relationships during adolescence, fantasies and one-sided attractions may occur, as well as
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