Qualitative Study of the Contexts and The Consequences of Intertwined Friendships among Girls: A Grounded Theory Study

Having friends is very important in the normal development of adolescents and young people, but sometimes these relationships can be extreme and abnormal. The aim of this study was to explain the contexts and consequences of intertwined friendships among girls. The method of this research was qualitative with the Grounded Theory. The samples included 12 female undergraduate and graduate students in Tehran in 1398 who were selected through purposive sampling. The research tool was a semi-structured interview. After reviewing and categorizing the findings in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding, 35 basic concepts were obtained, which reached 14 categories in the axial coding stage and then in the selective coding stage, this number reached 3 categories of factors affecting the tendency to relationships with homosexuals, the various dimensions of the relationship and individual-social consequences of such relationships. The results of the present study showed that the satisfaction of the emotional need and desire to be loved is among the factors that lead to the establishment of friendships in the intertwined and the emotional vacuum as the underlying conditions; family conditions and the generality of such relationships between peers as intervening categories, also affect the main phenomenon. Intertwined friendships lead to the use of strategies in individuals; These include reducing time spent with family, spending more time and energy on the other person, and prioritizing her over anything. These intertwined friendships also have consequences that include: disruption of family relationships, disruption of personal life and negative attitude towards yourself, and negative social attitudes toward the individual.