Describe adolescent romantic relationships. By what age do teens have a sense of what it means to be in love? What are some gender differences in these perceptions?

What will be an ideal response?

Adolescents move from preferences for same-sex friends to a mixture of friends as they learn to relate to those of the opposite sex. Sexual desire and social factors both play important roles in the development of romantic relationships. By the age of 12 or 13, most adolescents will use the word "love" to describe a relationship. Girls view romantic relationships as a context for self-disclosure; boys do not. Girls want psychological intimacy earlier than boys do.