African American Girls’ Ideal Dating Relationship Now and in the Future

Abstract

Adolescence is a particularly important and challenging time for developing long lasting romantic relationship patterns. However, limited empirical research has explored teen perceptions of ideal partner characteristics during adolescence or their significance to the quality of current and future relationships. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 33 African American high school girls to shed light on the qualities desired in their dating relationships and relational factors that influence teen dating behaviors. Guided by the Social Ecological Framework, interviews were transcribed verbatim and entered into ATLAS.ti, for coding and analysis. Girls discussed the important influence of parents in choosing a partner and provided positive depictions of friendship and marriage with a suitable partner. More research is needed to understand how and why adolescents desire particular characteristics, how socialization shapes teen perceptions and how these preferences may be related to current and future adolescent dating choices, including violence perpetration and victimization.

Adolescent Perceptions of an Interactive Mobile Application to Respond to Teen Dating Violence

“…L. Johnson, Giordano, Manning, & Longmore, 2015; Shorey et al, 2017; Wincentak, Connolly, & Card, 2017). However, male adolescents commit more severe acts of physical and sexual violence (Debnam, Howard, Garza, & Green, 2014; Haynie et al, 2013; Wincentak et al, 2017). Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and “unsure” adolescents had the highest rates of all TDV types when compared with their heterosexual counterparts (Cutter-Wilson & Richmond, 2011; Dank, Lachman, Zweig, & Yahner, 2014; Olsen, Vivolo-Kantor, & Kann, 2020).…”

Gender Differences in the Dating Experiences of African American Young Adults: The Challenge of Forming Romantic Relationships Within the Context of Power Imbalance

“…High rates of early death, unemployment, and incarceration among African American males have produced an imbalance where there are significantly fewer African American men than women (Edin, 2000; Wilson, 1996). Furthermore, given their disadvantaged histories, many of these men are not perceived as “marriageable” (Debnam et al, 2017). Still, males enjoy a power advantage in an imbalanced dating market because power accrues to the party who has more relationship alternatives (Cook, Cheshire, & Gerbasi, 2006).…”

“…This imbalance is further exacerbated by disproportionately high unemployment rates among African American men (Western, 2006), particularly for those with a history of incarceration. As a result, many of these men are not considered viable romantic partners (Debnam, Howard, Garza, & Green, 2017).…”

286. Australian Young Women's Perceptions of Dating and Dating Violence

“…Young women discussed the importance of physical closeness, giving and receiving gifts, sacrifice, treating the dating partner as a family member, nurturance, commitment and romance (Hays et al, 2009). However, the African-American young women in Debnam's (2017) study highlighted that the characteristics of dating are not linear and tend to vary depending on whether the relationship occurs in high school or later in life, with friendship always being an integral part of the dating relationship. Dating in high school is normally temporary and casual whereas post high school, dating involves searching for a long-term partner where the relationship might result in marriage (Debnam et al, 2017).…”

“…Dating was described to be a common experience for young women with certain rules to abide by. A few of the studies alluded to dating 'scripts' or stages of progression within the relationship as well as specific characteristics and activities that comprised dating (Debnam, Howard, Garza, & Green, 2017;Thongpriwan & McElmurry, 2009;Toscano, 2007Toscano, , 2014. The first step of dating is usually likened to a 'love at first sight' type of attraction to the young man which would draw the young women to them, and finding a 'popular guy' was perceived to be highly desirable (Jackson, 2001;Toscano, 2007Toscano, , 2014.…”