April 2008 Issue No. 4
Girls’ Views on Politics, Power, and Life
The new year is well underway and girls are taking note of what is playing out in the media and their own lives—from politics on a broader scale to personal resolutions and goals.
To get a sense of what’s currently important to girls, we’ve included results from research we recently conducted in conjunction with Smarty Pants, a youth market research firm, with an online survey panel of 433 girls ages 8 to 17 of diverse backgrounds in February 2008. The survey had a margin of error of ± 5 percent. We’ve also included current statistics on youth and young adults ages 18 to 29 from other’s research related to findings from our panel.
The findings reveal girls’ personal concerns and resolutions about relationships, health, and school as well as their thoughts on gender, race, and equality in this country. Advocacy, politics, and leadership are also areas girls find important.
Stay tuned for our next issue in which we will bring you our newest publications on girls’ leadership: Change It Up! What Girls Say About Redefining Leadership, Transforming Leadership: Focusing on Outcomes of the New Girl Scout Leadership Experience, and Exploring Girls’ Leadership. These three pieces bring together what girls say about the need to change leadership so that it resonates with them and how Girl Scouting is working with the leadership aspirations of girls today.
Sincerely,
Michael Conn, Ph.D.
Vice President, Research
Girl Scout Research Institute
Girl Scouts of the USA
POLITICS AND VOTING
Eight in ten girls ages 8 to 17 are interested in this upcoming presidential election. They are drawn to this election for many reasons, with gender being number one. [Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008].
Girls are interested because:
- A woman is running (48%).
- Girls want to know all candidates’ points of view (30%).
- An African American is running (29%).
- The issues are important (26%).
[Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
Girls’ older counterparts are also drawn to this election. With more and more youth and young adults following the presidential campaign, young adult voters ages 18 to 29 will have likely impact, according to a recent Time Magazine/SRBI poll: Year of the Youth Vote (January 2008).
- Three-quarters of 18 to 29 year old youth are following the election.
- Almost two in three (63%) are following the election campaign by television, 44% by the Internet, and 21% by newspapers.
- Nearly three-quarters (72%) believe the U.S. is on the wrong track. [Source: Time Magazine/SRBI poll: Year of the Youth Vote, January 2008]
Over the last decade voter trends have risen for youth voter registration and turnout (Young Voter Registration Turnout and Trends, February 2008). To see the sharp rise for this presidential campaign, check out Young Voter Registration Turnout and Trends (February 2008), a new report from Civic Learning and Engagement (CIRCLE) and Rock The Vote.
ADVOCACY AND POWER
Over eight in ten (86%) girls see themselves as advocates, often speaking up on a variety of issues, such as:
- Peer pressure and acceptance (43%).
- Alcohol and drug abuse (39%).
- Violence and abuse towards children (37%).
- Smoking (32%).
[Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
To see how girls in Girl Scouting in the U.S. and across the globe are speaking up for themselves and taking a stand on key issues, check out Take a Stand, developed by girls worldwide with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS).
Girls believe there is still a need for gender and racial equality in the U.S. Three-fourths feel that it is still necessary for the country to focus on gender equality as well as racial equality. However, approximately 9% feel racial and gender equality have been achieved. [Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
Girls see varying levels of influence of particular groups in the U.S. When asked which groups have too much influence, the right amount of influence, or too little, girls say the following:
- Too much influence: wealthy business leaders (68%) and men (53%).
- Too little influence: young people (64%), women (54%), and senior citizens (51%) have too little.
[Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
CONCERNS AND RESOLUTIONS
Girls decidedly have resolutions for the new year—particularly academic. When asked about their top three resolutions or goals, nearly two-thirds (64%) chose getting good grades followed by eating healthy (36%) and being a better person (29%). [Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
To see how some young people and communities are taking charge of their educational pursuits, check out The Connection Strategy: Preparing Young People to Succeed in College and Beyond, a new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Yet girls have major concerns, too, from academic success to the war in Iraq. Nearly half (47%) were afraid of not earning the grades they want at school [Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]. Concerns about family, friends, and finances followed:
- Thirty-eight percent worried about someone close getting very sick or dying.
- About thirty-five percent worried about friends not liking them and their family not having enough money.
- Nearly 20% worried about some type of violence—the war in Iraq, crime and violence in the neighborhood, and bullying at school.
[Source: GSRI, Girl Panel Survey, February 2008]
Young adults ages 18 to 29 also express concerns for the new year, according to a recent Time Magazine/SRBI poll: Year of the Youth Vote (January 2008).
To learn more of girls’ view on politics, power, and life, visit our website at www.girlscouts.org/research. Also, visit our website for original studies and research reviews of issues relevant to girls today. |
