The adolescence is the transition phase between childhood and adulthood, it is a natural time of learning and adjustment, particularly in the setting of long-term goals and personal aspirations. Peers become more important and experimenting with relationships is an important development task during adolescence. While a lot changes, from physical appearances to social development both the rates of depression and anxiety rise dramatically, with anxiety disorders seen in 5 - 30% of the children (James, Soler & Weatherall, 2005; Platt, Williams, & Ginsburg, 2016) and depression in around 17 - 40% (Harrington, Rutter, & Fombonne, 1996; Hankin et al, 1998). While the impact of life events on anxiety is still somewhat understudied besides the study
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During adolescence teens shift their attachment focus from their parents (who continue to serve as bases of security) to their friends and romantic partners, they will spend increasingly more time with these persons in order to fulfil their attachment needs (Trinke and Bartholomew, 1997). During the college years, romantic relationships are the most supportive relationships for males, and among the most supportive relationships for females (Furman & Buhrmester, 1992). According to Nieder & Seiffge-krenke (2001) about 20% of the adolescents had a romantic relationship at age 14. This percentage increased continuously during the following years, and at age 17, 36% of the participants reported having a romantic partner. Mean duration of the romantic relationship was shorter at age 14 years (mean: 3.9 months) than at age 17 years (11.8 months). According to Brown’s theory (1999), the increasing duration of romantic relationships is directly related to changes in the quality of relationships. During the third (out of respectively four) phase, the affection phase, romantic relationships tend to last longer and are characterised as being more exclusive and providing affection, friendship and security, relationships in this …show more content…
Some of them identify the positive influence of dating relationships on adolescent development; while others highlight the negative aspects on adolescent adjustment of having a romantic relationship. Substantial research found that romantic relationships lead to increased depression, like the study of Joyner & Udry (2000), who found that males and females who become romantically involved between interviews experienced a larger increase in depression than their counterparts who did not. And that loving interactions could be related to unfavourable personal well-being variables. Romantic involvements in the early ages of adolescence could be linked to internalizing problems such as anxiety and depressive conducts, limited autonomy, externalizing problems such as aggressive and/or delinquent behaviours, etc. (Joyner and Udry 2000; Neemann, Hubbard, and Masten 1995; Shaffer Hund and Furman 2009). An explanation for these findings could be the fact that in early adolescence the individual’s identity is still not solidly formed, and the dating experience at that point can be either beneficial or counter-productive in so far that boys and girls are more vulnerable to their partner’s judgement and also more malleable with regard to their
During adolescence teens shift their attachment focus from their parents (who continue to serve as bases of security) to their friends and romantic partners, they will spend increasingly more time with these persons in order to fulfil their attachment needs (Trinke and Bartholomew, 1997). During the college years, romantic relationships are the most supportive relationships for males, and among the most supportive relationships for females (Furman & Buhrmester, 1992). According to Nieder & Seiffge-krenke (2001) about 20% of the adolescents had a romantic relationship at age 14. This percentage increased continuously during the following years, and at age 17, 36% of the participants reported having a romantic partner. Mean duration of the romantic relationship was shorter at age 14 years (mean: 3.9 months) than at age 17 years (11.8 months). According to Brown’s theory (1999), the increasing duration of romantic relationships is directly related to changes in the quality of relationships. During the third (out of respectively four) phase, the affection phase, romantic relationships tend to last longer and are characterised as being more exclusive and providing affection, friendship and security, relationships in this …show more content…
Some of them identify the positive influence of dating relationships on adolescent development; while others highlight the negative aspects on adolescent adjustment of having a romantic relationship. Substantial research found that romantic relationships lead to increased depression, like the study of Joyner & Udry (2000), who found that males and females who become romantically involved between interviews experienced a larger increase in depression than their counterparts who did not. And that loving interactions could be related to unfavourable personal well-being variables. Romantic involvements in the early ages of adolescence could be linked to internalizing problems such as anxiety and depressive conducts, limited autonomy, externalizing problems such as aggressive and/or delinquent behaviours, etc. (Joyner and Udry 2000; Neemann, Hubbard, and Masten 1995; Shaffer Hund and Furman 2009). An explanation for these findings could be the fact that in early adolescence the individual’s identity is still not solidly formed, and the dating experience at that point can be either beneficial or counter-productive in so far that boys and girls are more vulnerable to their partner’s judgement and also more malleable with regard to their