Teenage Girl Dating Experience: A Qualitative Study

Background: During puberty, most teenagers’ sexual activities are increasing due to the hormonal changes.In this period, adolescents usually begin to approach other individuals of the opposite sex marked by mutualrecognition of both the advantages and disadvantages of each individual.Objective: The purpose of this study is to observe the positive and negative impacts of dating experiencedby junior high adolescents, specifically girls.Method: This qualitative research used a descriptive phenomenology method. The population was schoolgirlregistered in the “X” Junior High School in Cipayung Community Health Center, East Jakarta, Indonesia.The sample of this study was twelve schoolgirls selected through a purposive sampling technique. Thisstudy conducted a Focus Group Discussion in order to collect data for this study.Results: Four themes were identified in this study, namely (1) the meaning of relationship or dating, (2) thereasons for dating, (3) the impression of dating, and (4) the expectation in undergoing a relationship.Conclusion: The findings suggest that health promotion programs can put their effort into preventingjuvenile delinquency from dating.