Right Now, We’re Making Space for Reflection
Raising Awesome Girls usually shares advice and resources to help adults support girls. Today, amid a painful national conversation, we’re stepping back from that work to reflect on dignity, respect, care, and accountability.
At Girl Scouts, we believe creating a safer world for girls is a responsibility we all share.
The conversations occurring in the news and on social media around Cornell University are a painful reminder that sexual assault, abuse, or harassment can happen in places where young people should feel safe—and that those who speak up are too often dismissed, blamed, or left to carry the burden alone.
When harmful behavior is minimized or met with silence, it continues. When sexual assault and disrespect for a young woman’s pain becomes a punchline in a group chat accessible to dozens who could have spoken up to say, “this is wrong,” or intervened in real time, the harm compounds. Accountability begins when we listen, challenge what is wrong, and refuse to look away.
That’s what the young writers at The Cornell Daily Sun did. They kept asking difficult questions and were relentless in bringing the truth to light. Their courage reminds us why speaking up matters.
But speaking up can be hard: According to Girl Scouts of the USA’s research, 67% of girls say they don’t always stand up for themselves, and a key reason is fear they won’t be liked. Girls need to know that using their voices will be met with support, not judgment or repercussions.
That responsibility cannot rest on girls alone. Parents, caregivers, educators, coaches, mentors, organizations—and boys and young men—must create cultures rooted in respect and accountability by challenging harmful behavior, supporting those who speak up, and showing that being a good friend sometimes requires an uncomfortable conversation.
Girl Scouts stands with every girl and woman—and any survivor of sexual assault or abuse—who is carrying the weight of experiences that no one should ever endure. We will continue to support girls and those raising them by offering advice on Raising Awesome Girls. And we’ll continue to support Girl Scouts and our volunteers the way we always have: with programming, resources, and a community that makes the world a better place.
Creating a world where women and girls are safe and a culture where they can speak up when they’re not—and be met with respect and support—takes all of us.
We need to build this together.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, free and confidential support is available 24/7 through the National Sexual Assault Hotline by chat, by text, and by calling 800-656-HOPE.
