“When we stop choosing them.” Recovering freedom in intimate relationships among adolescents

Rising violence in adolescent sexual-affective relationships is a global concern. Studies attribute the issue to socialization towards violence and coercive discourse, which might contribute to pushing girls into violent and non-egalitarian relationships. Prevention hinges on science-backed dialogic interventions, focusing on attraction and election of egalitarian relationships. This research examines a dialogic gathering intervention with 15 heterosexual adolescent girls (aged 15–18), mainly using the book “Radical Love.” Communicative Methodology assessed the impact on the participants, with audio-recorded dialogues, life histories, and focus groups. Results reveal the dialogic gatherings’ effectiveness in countering coercive discourse and empowering participants to freely choose the safest and healthiest sexual-affective relationships.