Young Romance and intimacy: A Study on the Causes and Effects of an Early-intimate Relationship

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

As teens grow and develop, the creation of peer relationships-both for friendship and romance is the major focus of their social and personal lives. Falling into a relationship erases the teen’s view on brighter aspects and essence of a teenage life. In this study,it was observed that committing to an early relationship brings good and bad effects especially to the youth. With these premises in mind, the researchers conducted a study entitled, "Young Romance and Intimacy: A Study on the Causes and Effects of an Early-Intimate Relationship”.

METHODS

This qualitative study made used of phenomenological study method which focused on understanding the underlying meaning of the experience of the research participant from his/her perspective. In this study, ten (10) students responded to a set of structured questionnaires administered through an interview. In addition, the study also determined the common reasons of the respondents in committing to an early relationship and its effects to their lives.

RESULTS

It is revealed that the positive impacts of engaging in early relationship is that the life becomes easier for the teenagers, they become mature enough, they become more motivated, they excel in school and early relationship boosts their confidence. On the other hand, the common negative effect includes the following: time management becomes worse because most of their time was spent with their partner and the respondents had a hard time prioritizing thing which resulted in messing up with their responsibilities. In addition, one of the purposes of this study is to know the reasons why teenagers become curious to enter a romantic relationship. The positive reasons why they engaged in early relationship are as follows: to have happiness, to have a partner, to have motivation in life, to have an inspiration and to have somebody to lean on.

DISCUSSIONS

The results substantiated that there is a need of responsibility when it comes to the students who are committed in an early relationship. Moreover, this study may serve as a guide for the parents so that they will be able to learn more about their children. Furthermore, the result of this study may serve as a reference for other researchers.