The Role of Reciprocity in Romantic Relationships in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

Little is known about romantic involvement in middle childhood. Research involving late-childhood and adolescent youths indicates increasing romantic involvement with age. In the present sample (N = 1,510), though, middle-childhood youths were more likely than adolescents to report having a boyfriend or girlfriend. In addition, for a subset of the sample reporting romantic involvement with a classmate, the reciprocity of the relationships was examined. The high frequency of middle-childhood youths reporting romantic involvement may be explained in part by the relatively high frequency of nonreciprocal relationships among middle-childhood youths. Adjustment differences were also found between youths with reciprocal and nonreciprocal romantic relationships with classmates. Having a reciprocal romantic relationship was related to being well liked and perceived as "popular" by peers, whereas having a nonreciprocal romantic relationship was related to depression and anxiety. These findings speak to the importance of considering reciprocity in romantic relationships.