Learning Objective #1: Describe young adolescents' perceptions of romantic relationships, qualities of good relationships, and their motivation for involvement in relationships

Learning Objective #2: Describe young adolescents' perceptions of sexual behaviors within romantic relationships and characteristics that are important in romantic partners

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Purpose: Sexual activity in early adolescence generally takes place within the context of a romantic relationship. Yet, little is known about how young adolescents perceive these relationships. The purposes of this investigation were: 1) to explore how adolescents describe romantic relationships, the qualities of good relationships, and motivation for involvement in the relationships, and 2) to describe adolescents' perceptions of sexual behaviors within romantic relationships as well as characteristics that are important in romantic partners. Participants: Fifty-seven volunteers (M age = 13.8) were recruited from eighth-grade classes in one urban middle school located in a midwestern state. Fifty-six percent were female and 65% were Caucasian. Methods: A descriptive design using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies was employed. On an anonymous questionnaire, participants responded to open-ended questions about romantic relationships in the eighth-grade, they also rated the acceptability of 13 sexual behaviors and the importance of 23 characteristics in a boyfriend or girlfriend. Results: Participants described a romantic relationship to include the presence of: dating and romantic activities, sexual activities, and intense feelings about a romantic partner. According to the participants a good relationship involves: a sense of belonging or closeness, the presence of dating activities, and enjoyment of a partner. In addition, motivation for involvement in a romantic relationship includes: enhancement of social standing, the opportunity to belong to someone, and intense feelings toward a person. Among all participants, 61% perceived abstinence as acceptable within an eighth-grade romantic relationship, 58% indicated that sexual intercourse with a condom is acceptable, and 23% perceived sexual intercourse without a condom as acceptable. A partner's physical, personal, and risk behavior characteristics were rated as very important. Conclusions: Young adolescents have clear views of romantic relationships including perceptions of acceptable behaviors and desirable partners. Such views must be considered in the design of relationship-focused programs.