The emerging field of adolescent romantic relationships

Romantic relationships are central in adolescents' lives. They have the potential to affect development positively, but also place adolescents at risk fro problems. Romantic experiences change substantially over the curse of adolescence; the peer context plays a critical role as heterosexual adolescents initially interact with the other sex in a group context, then begin group dating, and finally have dyadic romantic relationships. Adolescents expectations and experiences in romantic are related to their relationships with their peers as well as their parents. Although research in adolescents' romantic relationships has blossomed in the past decade, further work is needed to identify the causes and consequences of romantic experiences, examine the diversity of romantic experiences, and integrate the field with work on sexuality and adult romantic relationships.