“High school is crazy, but if you have someone to go through it with you it makes it better,” she said. “At the end of the day you’re just looking for the person you’re going to get married too,” he said. “It’s all about finding your person.”

   Many parents do not want their teens to date during high school because of the time and attention it takes away from their studies and extracurricular activities. Parents also worry about pregnancy and their child having to raise a child, but having relationships in high school plays a pivotal role in the lives of adolescents and helps create a foundation for developing committed relationships in the future, aids in maturation, and helps the teen figure out who they are as a person.

   According to Collins, Welsh, & Furman, 2009, Teenagers in dating relationships without sex or violence report higher levels of self-esteem and self-confidence, and are more likely to perceive themselves as popular, and to do well in school. Adolescents’ dating experiences set the stage for healthy relationships in adulthood. Teens should not be discouraged to date if it is the right circumstances with the right person

 “Having a girlfriend in high school has made it less dreadful knowing I have a person to look forward to seeing everyday,” senior Christian Martin said.

    But some parents are not crazy about the idea of their young teens dating. Junior Brooke Bush’s mom and dad were not too excited when she and Christian started dating.

   “My dad told me that I was too young for a boyfriend, and I should just concentrate on my studies and hobbies,” Brooke said. “It took a lot of convincing to even let me go to the movies with a boy.”

   According to Child’s Trends Databank, It is imperative that parents, guardians, schools, and society enhance ways of promoting positive social-emotional development for all young people. This includes modeling, direct teaching, and providing guidance and support for safely engaging in responsible and healthy relationships. Promoting social-emotional development is intended to contribute to enriching interpersonal and personal knowledge and skills, developing prosocial relationships, and enhancing feelings of competence, empowerment, well-being, and enjoyment of living. And all this is seen as helping to prevent teen violence, combat systemic gender, sexual, racial, and religious prejudice and oppression, and ultimately having a positive cultural and political impact.

     According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, healthy teenage dating can help a student figure out their identity as in who they are and who they want to be. 

    “Loving someone else has made me find out what I’m really made of,” senior Magi Watson said. “I’ve learned patience and forgiveness and found out that I have much more inner strength than I realized.”

    Having a relationship can make you feel a part of something bigger than yourself. In high school, lots of kids struggle with feeling lost and unwanted, but having someone to love replaces that feeling with security. Everyone wants to feel cared about, being in a relationship can help students feel like someone is there for them. 

   “My boyfriend is really good about being there for me through all my struggles and making sure I always know how loved I am,” junior Brooke Bush said.