Drew Dixon
Girl Scouts of Florida issued the organization’s “2024 State of the Florida Girl Report,” showing that young women in the state have made some substantial progress. But challenges for girls remain significant.
The 76-page extensive report showed many trends moving in favor of girls in Florida, including lowering the number of uninsured girls living in the state, notable decreases in pregnancy among teen girls and fewer girls living below the poverty line.
“Taken together, these strides create the stability necessary for girls to thrive,” the Girl Scouts of Florida report said.
While there are many positive developments favoring girls in recent years, the Girl Scouts report indicates young women in the state are still subject to unique hurdles.
“This report puts into sharp focus the obstacles Florida’s girls face today,” said Chelsea Wilkerson, President of the Girl Scouts of Florida Association and CEO of the Girl Scouts of Tropical Florida.
The Girl Scouts of Florida study collected data to measure the well-being of Florida girls. The report focused on four categories: physical health, academic performance, emotional wellness and social well-being. Researchers compiled the results using publicly available data from sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Education.
“Compared to boys, three-times as many girls experience sexual violence, twice as many girls seriously consider attempting suicide, and significantly more high school girls abuse controlled substances,” the report said in summary.
Some of the more disturbing indicators facing girls in Florida include the fact that 1 in 6 high school girls reported experiencing sexual violence in the last year. And 1 in 8 female students reported missing at least a day of class because they felt unsafe on school campuses.
Twice as many girls seriously consider taking their own lives compared to boys. Another 52% of high school girls endured symptoms of depression. High school girls are 1.5 times likelier to vape or use nicotine compared to boys, amounting to about 20% of the high school girls in Florida.
The report issued recommendations, pointing to excess pressure on girls.
“Several troubling trends presented in the report fundamentally stem from unrealistic expectations placed on girls,” the report said. “From the distorted views girls have of their body to increases in depression and anxiety to lower academic performance in math, often, girls are adapting to the damaging demands of social pressure.”
The report suggests that encouraging an emancipating environment can help girls overcome some immediate challenges.
“Unboxing her potential means allowing girls the space to not fit a mold. As we widen the view of who girls are and what they can become, we also remove the pressure to fit one definition of girlhood,” the report said while also emphasizing peer associations among girls.
“Girls, then, benefit in deep, important ways from a supportive, all-girl environment that is often not available through family or school. An all-girl environment is shown to present better outcomes in mental health interventions and create better academic performance,” the report concluded.
