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What We Know About Romantic Relationships

By middle adolescence, most young people have been in at least one romantic relationship, a context in which many sexual interactions occur. Numerous researchers have suggested the importance of attending to relationships in adolescent programs,4 as relationships play a critical role in identity and skill development during adolescence, and lay the foundation for social success across the lifespan.

Below are selected scholarly articles about romantic relationships.

"Bad romance": Links between Psychological and Physical Aggression and Relationship Functioning in Adolescent Couples: By Seiffge-Krenke, I., & Burk, W. J. (2015)

"Do You Want Somebody Treating Your Sister Like That?": Qualitative Exploration of How African American Families Discuss and Promote Healthy Teen Dating Relationships: By Akers, A. Y., Yonas, M., et al. (2011)

"When you got nothing to do, you do somebody": A Community's perceptions of neighborhood effects on adolescent sexual behaviors: By Akers, A. Y., Muhammad, M. R., et al. (2011)

2016 Kirby Summit - Sex and the Teen Brain: By ETR. (2016)

A Sex-Positive Framework for Research on Adolescent Sexuality: By Harden, K. P. (2014)

Adolescent peer relations, friendships, and romantic relationships: do they predict social anxiety and depression?: By La Greca, A. M., & Harrison, A. M. (2005)

Adolescent precursors of romantic relationships in young adulthood: By Seiffge-Krenke, K., Shulman, S., et al. (2001)

Adolescent relationships and condom use: trust, love and commitment: By Bauman, L. J., & Berman, R. (2005)

Adolescent Sexual Health Communication and Condom Use: A Meta-Analysis: By Widman, L., Noar, S. M., et al. (2014)

Affairs of the Heart: Qualities of Adolescent Romantic Relationships and Sexual behavior: By Giordano, P. C., Manning, W. D., et al. (2010)

Becoming A Sexual Being: The 'elephant in the room' of adolescent brain development: By Suleiman, A.B., Galván, A., Harden, K.P. & Dahl, R.E. (2017)

Beyond Correlates: A Review of Risk and Protective Factors for Adolescent Dating Violence Perpetration: By Vagi, K. J., Rothman, E., et al. (2013)

Building a culture of health - promoting healthy relationships and reducing teen dating violence: Generating an evidence base to prevent teen dating violence and promote healthy relationships across the life span.; By Schubert, K. (2015)

Communicating interest in sex: verbal and nonverbal initiation of sexual activity in young adults' romantic dating relationships: By Vannier, S. A., & O'Sullivan, L. F. (2011)

Contraceptive use and pregnancies in adolescents' romantic relationships: role of relationship activities and parental attitudes and communication: Some relationship activities and parental communication about contraception were significant predictors of contraception, and their influence differed by gender.

Correlates of unprotected vaginal sex among African American female adolescents: importance of relationship dynamics: By Crosby, R. A., DiClemente, R. J., et al. (2000)

Dating Matters[TM]: The Next Generation of Teen Dating Violence Prevention: By Tharp, A. T. (2012)

Development of intimate relationships in adolescence.: By Raymond, M., Catallozzi, M., et al. (2007)

Evaluating the Relationship-Oriented Information, Motivation, and Behavioral Skills model of HIV preventive behaviors in young men who have sex with men: By Macapagal, K., Greene, G. J., et al. (2016)

Friends First? The Peer Network Origins of Adolescent Dating: Evidence that romantic relationships create bridges in friendship networks heightens their importance for the diffusion of health-risk behaviors, and should spark future research focused on the social contexts of adolescent romance and behavioral change.; By Kreager, D. A., Molloy, L. E., et al. (2016)

Futures Without Violence: Children, Youth & Teens: By Futures without Violence

Gender, Contraceptive Attitudes, and Condom Use in Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Dyadic Approach: By Vasilenko, S. A., Kreager, D. A., et al. (2015)

Impact of Sexual Coercion on Romantic Experiences of Adolescents and Young Adults: By Collibee, C., & Furman, W. (2014)

Improving Young Male Couples' Sexual and Relationship Health in the 2GETHER Program: Intervention Techniques, Environments of Care, and Societal Considerations: By Macapagal, K., Feinstein, B.A., Puckett, J.A., & Newcomb, M.E. (2019)

Intimate Partner Victimization, Poor Relationship Quality, and Depressive Symptoms During Young Adulthood: By Longmore, M. A., Manning, W. D., et al. (2014)

Intimate Partner Violence and the Rural-Urban-Suburban Divide: Myth or Reality? A Critical Review of the Literature: By Edwards, K. M. (2014)

Let's Be Real Movement: By Break the Cycle

Let's Get Digital: Understanding Adolescent Romantic Relationships Using Naturalistic Assessments of Digital Communication: By Rizzo, C.J., Collibee, C., Nugent, N.R. & Armey, M.F. (2019)

Love is Respect: Healthy LGBTQ Relationships: By Love is Respect

Neighborhood-Level Factors Associated with Physical Dating Violence Perpetration: Results of a Representative Survey Conducted in Boston, MA: By Rothman, E. F., Johnson, R. M., et al. (2011)

Office of Population Affairs, Healthy Dating Relationships in Adolescence: By OPA

Predictors of Early Initiation of Sexual Intercourse Among High-Risk Adolescents: By French, D. C., & Dishion, T. J. (2003)

Psychosocial predictors of engagement in sexual risk behaviour among trans female youth ages 16-24 years in San Francisco: By Turner, C. M., Santos, G. M., et al. (2016)

Relationship Characteristics Associated with Teen Dating Violence Perpetration: By Vivolo-Kantor, A. M., Massetti, G., et al. (2016)

Relationship Churning, Physical Violence, and Verbal Abuse in Young Adult Relationships: By Halpern-Meekin, S., Manning, W. D., et al. (2013)

Relationship Dynamics and Consistency of Condom Use among Adolescents: By Manning, W. D., Flanigan, C. M., et al. (2009)

Romantic Relationship Dynamics of Urban African American Adolescents: Patterns of Monogamy, Commitment, and Trust: By Towner, S. L., Dolcini, M. M., et al. (2015)

Romantic relationships and sexual activities of the first generation of youth living with HIV since birth.: By Fernet, M., Wong, K., et al. (2011)

Romantic relationships: an important context for HIV/STI and pregnancy prevention programmes with young people: Coyle, K.K., Anderson, P.M., Franks, H.M., Glassman, J., Walker, J.D., & Charles, V.E. (2014)

Safe Sext: Adolescents' Use of Technology to Communicate about Sexual Health with Dating Partners: By Widman, L., Nesi, J., et al. (2014)

Sexual Communication Between Early Adolescents and Their Dating Partners, Parents, and Best Friends: By Widman, L., Choukas-Bradley, S., et al. (2014)

Sexual Risk Taking Among Transgender Male-to-Female Youths With Different Partner Types: By Wilson, E. C., Garofalo, R., et al. (2010)

Sexuality (and Lack Thereof) in Adolescence and Early Adulthood: A Review of the Literature: By Boislard, M-A., van de Bongardt, D., et al. (2016)

Stay/Leave Decision-Making in Nonviolent and Violent Dating Relationships: By Copp, J. E., Giordano, P. C., et al. (2015)

Technology-Based Communication and the Development of Interpersonal Competencies Within Adolescent Romantic Relationships: A Preliminary Investigation: Nesi, J., Widman, L., Choukas-Bradley, S., & Prinstein, M.J. (2016)

Teen dating violence perpetration and relation to STI and sexual risk behaviours among adolescent males: By Reed, E., Miller, E., et al. (2014)

The Characteristics of Romantic Relationships Associated with Teen Dating Violence: By Giordano, P. C., Soto, D. A., et al. (2010)

The complexities of adolescent dating and sexual relationships: fluidity, meaning(s), and implications for young adults' well-being: By Manning, W. D., Longmore, M. A., et al. (2014)

The Development of Attitudes Toward Intimate Partner Violence: An Examination of Key Correlates Among a Sample of Young Adults: By Copp, J. E., Giordano, P. C., et al. (2016)

The Social Environment and Childbearing Expectations: Implications for Strengh-Based Sexual Health Interventions for Latino Youth: By vanDommelen-Gonzalez, E., Deardorff, J., et al. (2016)

Think of a Bear: Talking with Adolescents about Relationships: Shafia Zaloom (2019)

Time Out From Sex or Romance: Sexually Experienced Adolescents' Decisions to Purposefully Avoid Sexual Activity or Romantic Relationships: By Byers, E. S., O'Sullivan, L. F., et al. (2016)

To Use or Not to Use: A Stage-Based Approach to Understanding Condom Use Among Homeless Youth: By Tucker, J. S., Ober, A., et al. (2014)

Trajectories of physical dating violence from middle to high school: association with relationship quality and acceptability of aggression.: By Orpinas, P., Hsieh, H. L., et al. (2013)

Understanding Young People's Relationship Breakups Using the Dual Processing Model of Coping and Bereavement: By McKiernan, A., Ryan, P., McMahon, E., Bradley, S. & Butler, E. (2018)

Videos from AMAZE: By AMAZE

Videos from One Love: By One Love Foundation

Violence Exposure and Teen Dating Violence Among African American Youth: By Black, B. M., Chido, L. M., et al. (2014)

Well-Being and Romantic Relationships: A Systematic Review in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: By Gómez-López, M., Viejo, C., Ortega-Ruiz, R. (2019)

What is "Scaffolding" in Adolescent Relationships?: ETR (2018)

Who gives and who gets: why, when, and with whom young people engage in oral sex: By Vannier, S. A., & O'Sullivan, L. F. (2012)

You-Me-Us: Results of a Cluster Randomized Trial of a Healthy Relationships Approach to Sexual Risk Reduction: By Coyle, K.K., Anderson, P., Franks, H.M., Walker, J.D. & Glassman, J.R. (2019)

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