Close relationships are signifi cant to human well-being throughout life (Reis, Collins, & Berscheid, 2000). In the early part of the life span, involuntary relationships with family members are primary. Only in adolescence do voluntary close relationships attain the value and functional signifi cance previously attributed primarily to familial bonds. Although the escalating importance of friendships during adolescence is a staple of the empirical literature on close relationships (see reviews by Brown, 2004; Hartup, 1996) and in the theoretical canon (e.g., Sullivan, 1953; see Furman & Wehner, 1994, for an integrative formulation), studies of romantic relationships increasingly are recognized as potentially signifi cant relational factors in adolescent development and well being.