Abstract

Engagement in dating relationships plays an important role in the health trajectories of young people, particularly during the early adolescent period between ages 10–14. Yet little is known about such relationships among youth in low resource contexts. This study sought to contribute to the literature on this topic by exploring reasons why school-going young people aged 12–14 years engage in dating relationships in Blantyre, Malawi. A thematic analysis was used to code and analyse in-depth interview data from 23 young people and 19 caregivers. Against the backdrop of growing sexual desires and feelings of attraction, participants stressed harassment from boys and coercion from older men, peer pressure, social status attainment, financial deprivation and encouragement during initiation ceremonies as reasons for engaging in dating relationships. Girls were found to be subject to multiple power dynamics—including gender power relations, as well as power dynamics within same-gender peer groups—that influenced their sex and relationship involvement. These findings carry implications for the design and timing of sexual and reproductive health youth programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa and emphasise the need for multi-level interventions to address the multiple influences in young people’s dating lives.

摘要

参与约会关系在年轻人的健康轨迹中发挥着重要作用，尤其是在 10-14 岁的青春期早期。然而，在资源匮乏的情况下，青年之间的这种关系却鲜为人知。本研究旨在通过探讨 12-14 岁在校青年在马拉维布兰太尔从事约会关系的原因，为有关该主题的文献做出贡献。使用主题分析对来自 23 名年轻人和 19 名护理人员的深入访谈数据进行编码和分析。在性欲和吸引力不断增长的背景下，参与者强调了来自男孩的骚扰和来自年长男性的胁迫、同伴压力、社会地位获得、经济剥夺和入会仪式期间的鼓励，这些都是从事约会关系的原因。女孩被发现受到多种权力动态的影响——包括性别权力关系，以及同性别同伴群体内的权力动态——这会影响她们的性别和关系参与。这些发现对撒哈拉以南非洲青年性健康和生殖健康项目的设计和时间安排产生了影响，并强调需要多层次的干预措施来解决年轻人约会生活中的多重影响。