Girls attitudes survey

This is the third year running that Girlguiding UK has carried out research about the attitudes and opinions of girls and young women aged 7– 21 (on a representative group of that population, not just Brownies and Guides!)

The good news is that girls and young women in the UK are generally positive and happy with their lives – 89 per cent of girls and young women said they are happy most of the time, with 35 per cent saying they are very happy. But the statistics behind the some of the themes show where their concerns are.

› 69% are stressed about money compared to 48% in the 2010 survey. One in three (35%) worry about their parents’ financial situation.

› 46% of 16- to 21-year-olds worry about what they might do when they are drunk and 39% said they are concerned about their safety when drunk.

› Worries about jobs or paying for education has risen by more than 20% since and 29% of 11 to 21 year olds say that the economic downturn has made them less likely to stay on in education, compared with just 8% two years ago.

Chief Guide Gill Slocombe said: "While there are some stark statistics around stress, education worries, the media portrayal of women and alcohol, which should serve as a wake-up call to how our young women are feeling, there are many positive factors that should not be overlooked. Most girls and young women are happy and consider themselves healthy, many are engaged with their local communities and are keen to make a difference to the environment.They are positive and hopeful while deeply aware that they are becoming a lost generation who want to grab hold of the opportunities that are fast slipping from their reach."

"The crucial point of this survey is that we all listen to what the next generation is telling us about their lives today and hopes for the future."

The results from the survey are helpfully broken down into three different age groups and different themes. You could use some key points and stats for discussions, multiple choice quiz (e.g 'what % of 11- 16 year old girls think..xyz and what do you think) or as launch pad into sessions on those particular themes.

Girls Attitudes 2011 website

† Image by Nicole Pierce