Why Highschool students have relationships at an early age?

“Why High school Students and Teenagers have Relationships at an Early Age?”
By: Lander R. Abilar

International Philippine School in Jeddah

In partial fulfillment of the requirements in English IV
Submitted to: Mrs. Virginia Sajorda
Date: February 26, 2014

Acknowledgement
I would like to give my utmost gratitude to my parents who helped me in anything I couldn’t understand, for my adviser, Mrs. Virginia N. Sajorda who lend me samples so I could have an idea on what I should do and to a very special person for my inspiration.

Abstract My study is to figure out why teenagers have boyfriends or girlfriends at an early age. To figure why they enter on such a journey, is it because they’re curious or not? Whatever their reason is I want to know. That is why I will make a thesis about it.

CHAPTER ONE:

Introduction Everyone has someone meant for them, to be with them forever, someone who would make them feel important, who would love them for who they are. That is why the relationship of 2 persons is most important for a family. Relationship is a strong, deep, or close association/ acquaintance between or more people that may range in duration from brief to enduring. Desiring a romantic partner is a natural, expected part of adolescence. However, involvement in a serious or exclusive romantic relationship in the preteen/early teen years can create problems. True romantic relationships are about intimacy, or communicating detailed, personal information verbally, and physical contact and closeness. Some believe a teen first needs to form an identity and know who she or he is before developing a healthy intimate relationship. Other experts feel that romantic relationships are a way for teens to learn more about themselves. Many young teens are still defining themselves and romantic relationships may be based on a false sense of intimacy-in other words, teens don't know themselves well enough to share who they are with someone else. It will be explained here why teenagers have relationship at an early age, what it causes, its effects and consequences too. Statement and Purpose of the Problem Most teenagers of our modern age have a boyfriend or girlfriend, however because of too much love they feel for each other it causes for them to enter sexual intercourse and makes the girl pregnant and thus causing for the both parties to have early parenting/ family, though nowadays there are so many instances that the boy doesn’t take responsibility of what happened to the girl. That is why it will be discussed in this research paper the effects and consequences of early teenage relationships and why is it that a lot of teenagers now have boyfriends or girlfriends.

Study Questions and Hypothesis:
What are the benefits of having a relationship and what are the disadvantages of it?
Why most teenagers try to have a relationship?

Significance of the Study This research paper will stand as a guide for the reader’s to know what reasons why teenagers have relationship even they’re not allowed to and are there any solutions or way to making them stop on having one.

Limitation of the Study There hasn’t been enough time for me to make some questionnaire’s and hand it over to my fellow schoolmates for me to gather enough information about my topic, but then I managed to get some valuable information in the internet regarding my topic.

CHAPTER TWO:

Literature of Review:
“What are the Causes of High School Students Having Early Relationships?” High school can be a time period of many contradictions. At times, high school students are often unsure of themselves and impressionable. And other times they think they're mature enough to act like adults and be in romantic relations. However, the reasons for high school teens dating early are not always as simple as them wanting to act grownup. External pressures, lack of parental love and childhood sexual abuse can contribute to forming relationships early.

Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is one of the most common reasons why high school students start relationships early. The pressure to fit in and to be considered normal is at the forefront in the mind of teenagers. High school is usually the time period in a teen's life when they start forming groups by associating with other teens that are most like them. The need to belong to something and not be an outsider is a very big deal in the identity of teens.
Sexual Activity from Media Influence
The opportunity to engage in sexual activity as a result of media influence is a contributing factor in high school teens forming early relationships. Many television shows often depict teens in relationships that involve sexual activity. The desire to be in a relationship, or to "hook up" as it is often called by teens, usually involves some form of sexual activity.
In a study conducted by RAND, a research and analysis company, they found that teens who have significant exposure to sex on television often engage in activities like "making out" oral sex and intercourse. The study also revealed that teens, who watch sexual content on television frequently, were twice more likely to engage in intercourse than teens who have little exposure to sex on television.
Lack of Parental Love
Josh McDowell, a well-renowned public speaker on teenage sexuality and author of "The Myths of Sex Education," discussed in an article titled The Cause and Cure of Sexual Promiscuity that children who do not receive love and affection at home, especially from their fathers, often seek relationships early. Fathers are often worse offenders than mothers in failing to communicate love. In this same article, a survey conducted among 1,000 high school students revealed that 50 percent were unsure that their parents love them.
Childhood Sexual Abuse
Teens who have experienced childhood sexual abuse sometimes deal with this trauma by being promiscuous and having multiple relationships during their high school years. In an article by Gail Walter on the Parenting Teens website, she wrote, "Teenagers may begin to display marked signs of sexual abuse years after the initial episode. They may seem unpleasantly promiscuous." Sexual promiscuity for teens often happens in relationships regardless of the length and seriousness of the relationship.

“What are the Effects of High School Students having Boyfriend or Girlfriend?”

For many high school students, having a partner is near the top of their priority list, and some individuals may feel left out or even feel like failures if they've not dated someone by the end of high school. While in the short term having a boyfriend or girlfriend can make a high school student happy or feel that they fit in, such a relationship can have other consequences for the individual which may not prove as positive.

Disrupts Friendship Groups
High school students typically maintain a circle of friends who they depend on for companionship, but the politics of relationships can alter these friendships. When a student gets into a relationship with a guy or girl, that person's friends may complain that the student isn't spending enough time with them anymore. Worse, the friendship group may become jealous, and this envy might manifest in arguments between the student and her friends or even result in the breaking of friendships.
Stress
High school students have plenty to be stressed about. For a start, they're teenagers with all the emotional difficulties, such as mood swings, which this age brings. Students also face pressure to succeed academically to get into the college they want and may be expected to perform at extracurricular activities such as sports or music too. A relationship introduces another source of pressure into a student's life, taking up more of his time and potentially adding to emotional upset in the case of relationship problems. As noted in the essay "Effects of Romantic Relationships on Academic Performance" by Matthew E. Kopfler, pupils involved in relationships are often subject to more stress as a result.
Support
The presence of a boyfriend or girlfriend in a pupil's life can have a positive effect on that individual, providing the relationship is stable. The individuals in a relationship, even one based around a high school, can become very close, which in turn allows each partner to support the other during the experiences high school life presents to them. For instance, the pair might find studying together for exams beneficial.
Affects College Life
Following high school, many students head off to college, and some are still in a relationship begun in their previous school at this point of departure. This may lead to a sudden forced breakup between individuals who decide that attempting to continue the relationship at college is not worth it, which can in itself be painful. If the students do continue their relationship, this can have negative consequences on their college careers; for example, a student might neglect to make new friends at college in favor of heading home regularly to see her boyfriend.

The Advantages of Being in a Relationship A relationship on its own is a complex matter, now to sub-categorize them into advantages and disadvantages is very subjective, so whatever is written here would be based on my own opinion.

Rather than pointing out advantages of a relationship, which may just sound like me encouraging more teens to get into a relationship because of all the ‘good times’ you might experience. I hope you understand that personally I think that a relationship should not be for fun and should be treated seriously. Your mind set should be thinking that you’re getting into a relationship because you’ve met this special someone who makes you well, feel good about yourself and about them, and that you want to get closer to that person beyond the level of friendship.

A relationship is not just connecting on a physical level, which would just be meaningless and won’t last long. Yes-yes, to a certain point it is and that emotionally and physically feelings should be balanced. But when you and your partner come to a point when after just liking each other you begin to feel and care for each other that you can never do for anyone else, than will you understand just how much that person means to you. A feeling like that can never be replaced by just physical looks or anything else likes that.

Even in a relationship, you will not only begin to understand the other person better but you will also begin to understand yourself, and all the little habits that might annoy the other person, or make them happy. The longer you’re with each other, the more you begin to adapt to each other and this doesn’t just happen immediately, it takes time for something like this to happen. The person also becomes someone you can really confide in, but don’t forget about your friends around you though. They are important too!

There is so much more besides this of course, it may be the little gestures that you do for each other that makes your relationship special. Or the encouragements that you give to cheer each other up. Through a relationship, you begin to grow more mature (hopefully) at handling issues, be it good or bad. Yes, a relationship sure makes you feel good, but unfortunately don’t expect all relationships to go well, even if it isn’t your first, the right relationship depending on the individual takes time.

CHAPTER THREE:

Methodology: Throughout adolescence, teens become increasingly involved in a wide array of romantic experiences, including romantic and sexual relationships. Being in a dating relationship—where youth spend time with a current or potential romantic partner—is one common pattern, and is considered an important developmental marker for teens. Dating is associated with both positive and negative developmental outcomes. Teenagers in some dating relationships report higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence, and are more likely to perceive themselves as popular, and to do well in school. However, teenagers in other types of dating relationships frequently have lower levels of academic achievement and motivation, higher levels of depression, and higher levels of drug and alcohol use. These associations depend in large part on characteristics of the relationship, including its timing and duration, the quality of partner interactions, the cognitive and emotional status of the participants, and whether the relationship includes sexual activity. In any case, adolescents' experiences in dating set the stage for dating and relationship experiences in adulthood.
While dating among teenagers has been common in the U.S. since the 1920s, each generation has had its own style of dating and popular dating activities. Today’s teens describe a progression from mixed-sex group outings, to pairing off within the group, to individuals going on dates with one another. Popular dating activities include going out to dinner or the movies, “hanging out” at school or the mall, and visiting each other’s homes.
Concern has also been raised about an uncommitted form of dating referred to as “hooking up,” characterized by casual sex, though the term encompasses many other types of sexual encounters. Although only 28 percent of urban secondary students had engaged in any form of “hook-up” in 2009, the practice was associated with drug use, truancy, and school suspensions. However, even when looking at “hook-ups” involving sexual intercourse, research shows that 62 percent of hook-ups were between friends, and another 23 percent were between acquaintances, rather than strangers.

Trends
Although dating in adolescence is still common, students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades in 2011 were less likely to date than they were in 1991. The shift in behavior is more pronounced for twelfth-grade students, where the proportion of youth who did not date more than doubled, from 14 percent in 1991 to 34 percent in 2011. In the same period, the proportion of tenth-graders who never date increased from 28 to 38 percent, and the proportion of eighth graders increased from 48 to 53 percent. (Figure 1)
In a similar trend, the proportion of teens that date more than once a week has been decreasing. Between 1991 and 2011, the percentage of twelfth-graders who went on more than one date per week declined from 34 to 18 percent. In the same time period, the proportion of tenth-graders who frequently dated also declined (from 17 to 10 percent). The proportion of eighth-graders who date frequently has stayed level, between seven and eight percent. (Figure 2)
Differences by Race/Hispanic Origin
White students in the twelfth grade were significantly more likely than black students to date frequently. In 2011, 19 percent of white twelfth-graders reported frequent dating (more than once a week), compared with 14 percent of black students. There was no significant difference in the percentages of white and Hispanic students in twelfth grade who date frequently. White students were more likely than black students to date frequently in tenth grade as well (11 and 10 percent, respectively), but again, Hispanic students were not significantly more likely to date frequently than white students. In eighth grade, however, Hispanic students were the most likely to date frequently (ten percent), followed by black students (nine percent) and white students (six percent). (Appendix 1)
A similar pattern by race/Hispanic origin holds for the percentages of twelfth- graders who never date. However, in both eighth and tenth grade, there was no difference in 2011 between black and white students; both were less likely than Hispanics to never date in tenth grade, but more likely to never date in eighth grade. (Figure 3)
Differences by Age
In 2011, more than one-half (53 percent) of eighth-grade students reported never dating, compared with 38 percent of tenth-graders and 34 percent of twelfth-graders. (Figure 1)
The share of students who date more than once a week increases markedly with age, from seven percent among eighth-grade students, to 11 percent of tenth-grade students and 18 percent of students in the twelfth grade.(Figure 2)
Differences by Gender
In 2011, male eighth-graders were more likely to date frequently than were their female counterparts (nine and five percent, respectively), but in tenth and twelfth grades the two sexes were equally likely to report frequent dating. (Appendix 2) However, eighth- and tenth-grade females were more likely than males to report that they never date, though the gap decreases with age. (Appendix 1)
Differences by Parents' Education
In 2011, students whose parents had a high school education or less were somewhat more likely to report dating frequently than were students whose parents had received a college education. For example, while 18 percent of twelfth-graders whose parents had completed high school reported frequent dating, 17 percent of their peers whose parents had completed college or graduate school reported likewise.
CHAPTER FOUR and FIVE:

Results, Discussion and Conclusion: Healthy romantic relationships during adolescence can be emotionally supportive and help improve interpersonal skills as teens learn to communicate and negotiate within the relationship. These early forays into romance are fraught with heartache as teen relationships are not usually long-lasting. While she may feel depressed for a while after a break-up, your teen will learn to cope with heartache and learn to handle difficult situations. The key to overcoming heartache in a romantic relationship is to continue to have a life outside of the relationship. Partners selected based on character rather than looks will produce a more meaningful quality of time spent together, according to West Suburban Teen Clinic. DISCUSSIONS We all have a place to return to in this world whether a home or someone’s arms to stay at, but we will find one at the right place, at the right time. But why do teenagers try to find it as early as possible? Don’t they know the consequences of what they do? Here are some wonderful answers:
You will have attained a goal for the better life for you and your partner.
To have someone to help you in anything you’re having a hard time at.
To have someone who can relieve you of your stress in just seconds.
You will be able to learn and practice the responsibility of caring and cherishing someone.
Conclusion
Teen relationships are great. They are fun. My advice though is that you shouldn’t take them seriously. If you’re in love then enjoy it. But don’t expect it to last forever.
This is because you’re still young. You’re still going to meet a whole lot of new people. You both might change your minds. Mind you, some teenagers strike gold. They end up getting married. This is rare though.
My advice is that you should always leave room for disappointment.
Be committed to yourself first. Have your own life. Don’t stop seeing your friends because you’re in a relationship. Don’t lose yourself in your girlfriend or boyfriend. Stick to your dreams, goals and priorities.
If you do this then it won’t hurt as much when things start to fall apart.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Having a teenage relationship isn’t bad or prohibited but sometimes you must prepare first for the future. Study first well and get good grades, graduate in college and get a decent job so you can start your own family because you might not know maybe the one you’re intertwining at the moment is not the right person then you’ll be left with heartache. Take my advice, go and explore the wonders of the world’s knowledge, then when you have enough, find the most wonderful things in this world.