Friends with Benefits — urbandictonary.com defines it as, “Two friends who have a sexual relationship without being emotionally involved, typically two good friends who have casual sex without a monogamous relationship or any kind of commitment.”
A study published earlier this year in the College Student Journal questioned 1013 undergraduate students and found that 51 percent have had a friends with benefits (FWBR) relationship.
20-year-old Timothy has had more than one FWBR. His most recent was with a 31-year- old woman. Nichols said that a relationship like this is good because it is a happy medium between a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship and a friendship.
He said, “Sometimes you have sexual tension and you fulfill that tension without forming a relationship.”
The study done by the College Student Journal found that there are several characteristics that people who participate in a friend with benefits relationship possess. Males are more likely than females to have a FWBR. Casual daters, hedonist and non-romantic people are also more likely to become involved in this type of relationship.
A FWBR might be a fun experience for two people, but there is also jealousy and hurt feelings that go along with it.
Timothy said that he has experienced both of these things in his past relationships. He said that he has felt jealousy when a woman started dating another man and he feels like a few of the women cared for him more than he did for them.
Timothy is now seriously committed to a woman. He said that this relationship is different because of the feelings that he has for her. He said that he has never had feelings like this for any other woman that he has ever been with.
Clark Pinson, a Doctoral student who works at the Carruth Center, said that college age people get involved in a FWBR to figure out who they are and what types of relationships work for them. He added that the participants might also have a fear of abandonment or they might just want to keep their options open.
“It’s a learning experience, you learn how to discipline yourself, you figure out how to deal with temptation,” Timothy said.
Edited by: Kaylyn Christopher
To avoid emotional distress, a "no strings attached" attitude must be shared between friends with benefits.
