Context

For my surveys, I chose to question people within the age group of 13-19.  I believe that people in this age group are mature enough to realize on their own the psychological toll that parental abandonment has left on them.  I surveyed 10 people, and had no specific race that I targeted.  The only demographics involved were ages, and gender.  The reason I included gender was because I also believe that girls and boys react and cope differently with abandonment.  I think that girls would be more prone to try and find someone to attach themselves to as they grow older.  Whether it is a best friend or a boyfriend, they are just looking for someone to fill the hole that their parent left them.  Girls are often more emotional, and feel that they need someone to be with, to be able to rely on, and trust.  However, during the relationship that they have with either that best friend or boyfriend, they are constantly worrying about that person leaving them too.  With boys, I think that they react and cope differently with the loss of their parent.  I believe that boys also struggle with relationships, they fear getting too close to someone, because they don’t want to have to go through the pain of losing another person in their life. 

However, guys, I believe, are in denial of this.  Research has shown that guys are more likely to act like they don’t care, and that nothing bothers them.  Because of this though, they often cause themselves greater emotional damage down the road.  Even though both girls and guys struggle with this emotional damage, there are proven studies that tell us that developing and having a close relationship with someone is better than trying to cope with this psychological wound by themselves.