By DANIELLE SHOCKEY
Guest Columnist
In September, we unveiled the groundbreaking inaugural Indiana Girl report, and in this month as we will celebrate girls on Oct. 12, the International Day of the Girl, I’d like to share a little more about what this report tells us about the stark realities girls in our state face, and it may shock you.
This report isn’t just about data. It’s a testament to our unwavering commitment to the well-being of girls. It serves as a poignant reminder that we, as a society, have not been prioritizing their social, emotional, academic, and physical well-being as we should. It is a call to action to unite and address the challenges our girls confront daily. With more than a century of experience championing girls and their needs, Girl Scouts knows that together we can make HER world a better place.
The core objective of this report is to increase awareness about the realities our girls experience and to engage adults to drive change. Whether you are a caregiver, policymaker, corporate or nonprofit leader, or funder, you should understand the urgency and significance of the findings and act for meaningful change.
The facts:
Girls are not okay and may not admit it.
The challenges facing this generation of girls are complicated by how easily they are concealed. Research shows girls are in an unprecedented mental health crisis with a shortage of professionals to help, and often their symptoms go unnoticed. Girls need a safe space to navigate these often-taboo topics, like mental health or sexual dating violence, while they navigate rapidly evolving social systems in digital spaces, which are difficult for adults to monitor.
- Hospitalization rates for girls are more than three times higher than those for boys in Indiana.
- Girls, who typically begin puberty and emotional maturity earlier than boys, are more likely than boys to experience mental health challenges like depression and anxiety. Shockingly, 47 percent of middle and high school girls showed signs of depression in 2022 compared to 24 percent of boys, and nearly one in four girls seriously considered suicide.
- Girls in Indiana are more likely than boys to become victims of bullying. They are twice as likely to become victims of traditional bullying and three times as likely to become victims of cyberbullying compared to boys.
- From 2015 to 2021, the rate of physical and sexual dating violence among girls in Indiana has increased, while the prevalence among boys has decreased: 17 percent of high school girls reported having experienced sexual dating violence in 2021 – five times the rate of boys.
Girls need support from every sector.
Factors like physical health influence academic success and emotional well-being, and are affected by various community sectors, including education, healthcare, social services, and out-of-school activities. Research shows that 28 percent of K-5 girls in the Midwest are not enrolled in any afterschool activities, a figure that rises to 52 percent for households earning less than $50,000 annually.
Tailoring equitable experiences for girls may require specific encouragement and support.
Key differences in the experiences between girls and boys in academic settings suggest significant perceived gender bias or social pressures.
- Girls trailed boys 3.5 percent in math and science proficiency exams in 2022, despite no cognitive differences between the sexes. This suggests that girls begin to internalize beliefs such as “math is for boys, not girls” as early as second grade.
- Fewer girls are getting support through special education programs than boys: just over 10 percent of girls compared to 18.5 percent of boys.
The girls of Indiana harbor boundless potential, yet to ensure they reach it we ALL must advocate for resources, programs, policies, and decisions that elevate them. You can play an active role in advocating for change at home and at the state and local levels.
The 2023 Indiana Girl Report serves as a wake-up call, urging us to nurture every girl’s potential. It illuminates the path forward: a focus on girl-centered initiatives and comprehensive support. Let this report spark a movement, one that empowers Indiana’s girls to flourish, and to feel safe and cared for and about. Together, we can create a brighter future for every girl in Indiana, regardless of the challenges they may encounter.
The time to act is now, and we invite you to stand with us in this critical endeavor. Download the Indiana Girl Report today at gsci.me/indianagirlreport and join the community conversation at GirlsCoalitionIndiana.org.
Danielle Shockey is the chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Central Indiana, which serves 16,000 Girls and 12,000 adults across 45 Indiana counties. A Girl Scout alum, Danielle’s experience and passion for serving Indiana’s youth spans a 20-year career in education prior to her now five years with Girl Scouts.