Challenges Facing Cross-Sex Friendships

Society has a hard time believing a “just friends” label between people of the opposite sex. Or maybe it’s that “just friends” implies that “the relationship is not what it could or ought to be but is “just” a friendship.” (O’Meara, 1989)
Many different values and behaviors affect cross sex friendships such as, attraction, gender roles, past relationships, education and obviously, family values.
In the first article, ‘I like you . . . as a friend’: The role of attraction in cross-sex friendship” Reeder explains that attraction, and the different types of attraction affect cross sex friendships. There are four major types of attraction that are included in cross-sex friendships. The four attractions are subjective physical/sexual, objective physical/sexual, romantic, and friendship. These four different types of attraction can be present separately or collectively within a friendship.
The first attraction, subjective physical/sexual, is re...