It’s that time of year when many of us are searching desperately for a local Girl Scout troop in order to buy some cookies. (Helpful hint: It’s super easy to find a cookie booth near you.) But the Girl Scouts aren’t just the bearers of thin mint goodness—the organization also has a research arm, which recently published The State of Girls 2017, an examination of national and state-level trends related to the health and well-being of American girls.
The report analyzes several indicators including demographic shifts, economic health, physical and emotional health, education, and participation in extracurricular/out-of-school activities. Data were pulled from a variety of national and governmental sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Trends were analyzed from 2007 through 2016.
American girls are growing more racially and ethnically diverse along with the rest of the country’s population. The report notes that the percentage of white school-age girls (ages five to seventeen) decreased from 57 percent in 2007 to 51 percent in 2016. Meanwhile the percentage of Hispanic/Latina girls increased from 20 to 25 percent while the percentage of Black girls decreased from 15 to 14 percent. Approximately 26 percent of all school-age girls are first- or second-generation immigrants, up from 23 percent in 2007. 34 percent of girls live in single-parent homes, and 41 percent of girls live in low-income families. Both these percentages are slightly higher than they were in 2007.
For girls’ physical and emotional health, there’s both good news and bad. Most risky behaviors—such as smoking cigarettes and alcohol use—have declined. Fewer girls report being bullied, though there has been a slight increase in the number of girls who report being victims of cyberbullying. But there’s worrisome data surrounding emotional health: In 2015, 23 percent of high school girls reported seriously considering suicide, compared to 19 percent in 2007. The rate was highest among ninth-graders (27 percent). In addition, approximately 13 percent of low socioeconomic-status girls reported being depressed compared to 9 percent of more affluent girls. The report’s authors concluded that these data demonstrate the need for “better mental health assessments and interventions for youth in schools and communities.”
Speaking of school, the data related to high school completion and reading and math proficiency should already be familiar to those in the education world. The high school dropout rate has decreased for girls, but it’s significantly higher among low-income girls than among their higher income peers—6 percent compared to 2 percent, respectively. Using NAEP as its basis, the report also notes that although reading and math proficiency has generally improved for girls, achievement gaps based on race and income persist.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this report are the data on extracurricular and out-of-school activities. It’s a widely accepted fact that enrichment and extracurricular opportunities matter. Unfortunately, consistent school athletic participation is significantly lower for low-income girls: 17 percent participated regularly, compared to 31 percent of higher income girls. And it’s not just sports, either. Low-income girls also have lower levels of extracurricular participation in areas like community affairs or volunteer work and student council/government.
These statistics on America’s girls serve as a solid reminder that schools and nonprofit groups have a big role to play in ensuring that all young women have the opportunity to succeed.
SOURCE: “The State of Girls 2017: Emerging Truths and Troubling Trends,” The Girl Scout Research Institute (2017).
