IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i5p2256-d505385.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Intimate Relationships as Perceived by Adolescents: Concepts and Meanings

Author

Listed:
  • Isabel Moreira

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Maria Fernandes

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Armando Silva

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Cristina Veríssimo

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Maria Leitão

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Luísa Filipe

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

  • Maria Sá

    (Unidade de Investigação em Ciências da Saúde: Enfermagem, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal
    Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal)

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of great changes and the assumption of risk behaviours at the level of sexuality may have implications for health and well-being. Nowadays, adolescents live free from constraints and prioritise freedom, using their own terminology to label their relationships, it becoming in turn important to conceptualise intimacy relationships from their perspective. Therefore, a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study was performed. Participants included 109 adolescents aged 14 and 18 years old from public schools in central Portugal. Data were collected using 12 focus groups and a content analysis was undertaken. These terms attributed to intimate relationships by adolescents are, for the most part, mutual for both genders: crush, friendzone, friends with benefits, making out, dating, and similar in terms of meaning. In an intimate relationship, adolescents give priority to factors such as respect, trust, and love. The fear of loneliness, obsession, and low self-esteem are reasons pointed out by adolescents for maintaining an unhealthy intimate relationship. Adolescents’ knowledge of language about their intimate relationships is essential to establish effective communication and to build intervention programs in the healthy intimacy relationships field.

Suggested Citation

  • Isabel Moreira & Maria Fernandes & Armando Silva & Cristina Veríssimo & Maria Leitão & Luísa Filipe & Maria Sá, 2021. "Intimate Relationships as Perceived by Adolescents: Concepts and Meanings," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(5), pages 1-13, February.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:5:p:2256-:d:505385
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/5/2256/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/5/2256/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mercedes Gómez-López & Carmen Viejo & Rosario Ortega-Ruiz, 2019. "Well-Being and Romantic Relationships: A Systematic Review in Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-31, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Flore Geukens & Annette Spithoven & Margot Bastin & Janne Vanhalst & Marlies Maes, 2022. "Lonely in Different Relationships: Bidirectional Effects between Parent- and Peer-Related Loneliness in Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-10, June.
    2. Amanda Hiles Howard & Getrude Dadirai Gwenzi & Lindsey Newsom & Belay T. Gebru & Nicole Gilbertson Wilke, 2023. "The Relationship between Sense of Belonging and Well-Being Outcomes in Emerging Adults with Care Experience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(13), pages 1-12, July.
    3. Ashley B. LeBaron-Black & Jeremy B. Yorgason & Melissa A. Curran & Matthew T. Saxey & Rachel M. Okamoto, 2022. "The ABC-X’s of Stress among U.S. Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Relationship Quality, Financial Distress, and Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-16, October.
    4. Francesca De Lise & Valeria Bacaro & Elisabetta Crocetti, 2023. "The Social Side of Sleep: A Systematic Review of the Longitudinal Associations between Peer Relationships and Sleep Quality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-22, January.
    5. Linda S. Pagani & Kianoush Harandian & Beatrice Necsa & Marie-Josée Harbec, 2023. "Prospective Associations between Maternal Depressive Symptoms during Early Infancy and Growth Deficiency from Childhood to Adolescence," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(23), pages 1-13, November.
    6. Estefanía Mónaco & Usue de la Barrera & Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla, 2021. "The Effectiveness of EMOVERE: An Emotional Education Program for Young Couples," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-17, February.
    7. Léandre Alexis Chénard-Poirier & Robert J. Vallerand & Jérémie Verner-Filion & Nathalie Houlfort & Jacques Forest & Natalie Rinfret, 2023. "Optimal Functioning in Society: A Conceptualization, a Measure, and a Look at Determinants," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 857-892, February.
    8. Johnson, Micah E. & Lawrence, Sashawn D. & Wiedbusch, Elzbieta, 2023. "Lovesick: Romantic relationships linked to opioid misuse among juveniles," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 155(C).
    9. María-Jesús Cava & Sofía Buelga & Laura Carrascosa & Jessica Ortega-Barón, 2020. "Relations among Romantic Myths, Offline Dating Violence Victimization and Cyber Dating Violence Victimization in Adolescents," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-15, February.
    10. Anna Sorrentino & Margherita Santamato & Antonio Aquino, 2023. "Individual, Familial, and School Risk Factors Affecting Teen Dating Violence in Early Adolescents: A Longitudinal Path Analysis Model," Societies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-14, September.
    11. Vincenza Gianfredi & Maddalena Buffoli & Andrea Rebecchi & Roberto Croci & Aurea Oradini-Alacreu & Giuseppe Stirparo & Alessio Marino & Anna Odone & Stefano Capolongo & Carlo Signorelli, 2021. "Association between Urban Greenspace and Health: A Systematic Review of Literature," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-23, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:5:p:2256-:d:505385. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.