When we ask youth about the reasons for their emotions, family is mentioned relatively little unless a major family change has occurred, such as a death or divorce. The majority of adolescents' emotions are caused by peer relations, including romantic relationships, real and imagined. Emotions often go up or down over someone they haven't even talked to. By the high school years, romantic relationships account for over one-third of positive and negative extreme emotions in adolescents. School is the other major category accounting for more negative and positive emotions.
Girls report friends and relationships to be a more frequent cause of emotions.
Successes and failures in daily events are more often reported by boys to cause emotional highs and lows. The family is a secure home base for adolescents and is often taken for granted by them. Adolescents' emotional centers are moving away from their family during this time. They still love their parents. They still have good talks with their parents.