Infatuation and love of an adolescent girl: Dynamics of parent child relationship

Abstract

Background: Increased interest in romantic relationship (RR) is central to adolescents’ lives. RR has a significant influence on the emotional well-being of the adolescents and their future life. Objective: The present study aims at understanding the issues and concerns of adolescent girls in RR who come under care and protection issue. Methods: The study adopts a retrospective exploratory research design and analyzed the case reports maintained by psychiatric social workers. Reports elicit the information about the RR, marriage with the romantic partner, reason for run away with the marital partner, etc. Results: Majority of the adolescents run away with their romantic partner to get married and more than three-fourth of the adolescent girls believed that having sexual intercourse with their romantic partner would get their marriage approval and felt that marriage gave them sanction for the sexual relationship. Adolescents were worried about parent’s rejection of their romantic partner and had guilt feeling that they were not able to meet the expectations of parents nor they were able to fulfill the dreams of their parents. Most of the adolescents were also aware that their romantic involvement has been one of the reasons for academic decline; some have to drop out from the schools. Conclusion: It is important to understand the issues of adolescent girls in RR so that it would help us in designing interventions to facilitate developmental needs and for the healthy transition to adulthood.