Dating
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Headline

The percentage of 12th grade students who report dating frequently has declined steadily since 2001, reaching a new low in 2006 of 24 percent. (See Figure 2)

Importance

Dating, spending time with a current or potential romantic partner, is viewed as a major developmental marker for teens and also as one of the more challenging adjustments that adolescents face.¹ Indeed, dating relationships can be central to the lives of teens and can be associated with both positive and negative developmental outcomes.² Teenagers who date frequently have been found to have slightly higher levels of self-esteem and are more likely than infrequent or non-dating teens to perceive themselves as popular.³ These teens also report higher levels of autonomy than their peers.⁴ However, teenagers who date frequently have lower levels of academic achievement and academic motivation.⁵ They are also more likely than their peers to report conflict with their parents⁶ and to suffer from depression.^7,8

While teenage dating has been common in the U.S. since the 1920s, every generation has its own style of dating and popular dating activities. Today's teens describe a progression from mixed-sex group outings, to pairing off within the group, to individuals going on dates with one another.⁹ Popular dating activities include going out to dinner or the movies, "hanging out" at school or the mall, and visiting each other's homes. ¹⁰ Concern has also been raised about an uncommitted form of dating referred to as "hooking up," characterized by casual sex.¹¹

Trends

Students in the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grades are less likely than they were in 1991 to date. The shift in behavior is more pronounced for twelfth grade students, where the percentage of youth who did not date rose from 14 percent in 1991 to 27 percent in 2006. (See Figure 1) In addition, the percentage of twelfth graders who went on one or more dates per week declined from 34 percent to 24 percent during the same time period. (See Figure 2)

After increasing in 2001, the percentage of tenth graders who never date began to fluctuate between 33 and 37 percent, resting at 35 percent in 2006. The percentage of tenth graders who went on one or more dates per week decreased from 15 percent to 13 percent.

Between 2001 and 2006, the percentage of eighth grade students who never date remained between 50 and 53 percent, while the percentage of eighth grade students who went on one or more dates per week remained at seven to eight percent.

Differences by Race

White students in the twelfth grade were significantly more likely than black students to date frequently. Among twelfth grade students in 2006, 25 percent of white students reported frequent dating (one or more times per week) compared with 18 percent of black students. White students in both tenth and twelfth grade were also less likely to report never having dated. (See Figure 3)

Differences by Age

In 2006, one-half of eighth-grade students reported never dating compared with 35 percent of tenth graders, and 27 percent of twelfth graders. (See Figure 1)

The percentage of students who date one or more times per week increased with age from seven percent among eighth grade students to 13 percent of tenth grade students and 24 percent of students in the twelfth grade. (See Figure 2)

Differences by Gender

In 2006, females in the tenth and twelfth grades were somewhat more likely than their male peers to report dating frequently (14 percent versus 12 percent for tenth graders, and 26 percent versus 22 percent for twelfth graders, respectively), while males were more likely to date frequently in the eighth grade (9 percent versus 6 percent, respectively). (See Table 1 and Table 2)

Differences by Parental Education

In 2006, students in both tenth and twelfth grade whose parents had completed high school or less were somewhat more likely to report dating frequently than were students whose parents had received a college education. For example, while 15 percent of twelfth graders whose parents had completed high school reported to date frequently, only 11 percent of their peers whose parents had completed college or graduate school reported likewise.

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Related Indicators

Dating Violence, Sexually Experienced Teens, Sexually Active Teens

State and Local Estimates

None

International Estimates

None

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National Goals

None

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Research References

¹Quatman, T., Sampson, K., Robinson, C., & Watson, C. M. (2001). Academic, Motivational, and Emotional Correlates of Adolescent Dating. Genetic, Social, and General Psychology Monographs, 127(2), 211-234.

²Furman, W. (2002). The Emerging Field of Adolescent Romantic Relationships. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11(5), 177-181.

³Quatman, T., Sampson, K., Robinson, C., & Watson, C. M. (2001).

⁴Dowdy, B. B., & Kliewer, W. (1998). Dating, Parent-Adolescent Conflict, and Behavioral Autonomy. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 27(4), 473-492.

⁵Quatman, T., Sampson, K., Robinson, C., & Watson, C. M. (2001).

⁶Dowdy, B. B., & Kliewer, W. (1998).

⁷Quatman, T., Sampson, K., Robinson, C., & Watson, C. M. (2001).

⁸Joyner, K., & Udry, J. R. (2000). You Don't Bring Me Anything but Down: Adolescent Romance and Depression. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 41(December), 369-391.

⁹Feiring, C. (2002). Learning the Ways of Romance. In J. J. Arnett (Ed.), Readings on Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood (pp. 173-182). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

¹⁰Ibid.

¹¹ Stepp, Laura S. Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at Both. 2007. Riverhead Books, New York.

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Definition

The Monitoring the Future Survey asks students "On average, how often do you go out with a date (or your spouse, if you are married)?" The response categories are: never; once a month or less; 2 or 3 times a month; once a week; 2 or 3 times a week; over three times a week.

Frequent dating is used here to describe youth who report going out on one or more dates each week.

Data Source

Data for 1976-2006 from original analysis by Child Trends of Monitoring the Future data.

Raw Data Source

Bachman, Jerald G., Lloyd D. Johnston, and Patrick M. O'Malley. Monitoring the Future: A Continuing Study of American Youth (8th, 10th, and 12th-Grade Surveys), 1976-2006 [Computer files]. Conducted by University of Michigan, Survey Research Center. ICPSR ed. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [producer and distributor].
ICPSR: http://www.icpsr.umich.edu
Monitoring the Future: http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/

Approximate Date of Next Update

November 2008

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