'Catcalling' among reasons Girlguiding reports happiness levels to hit all time low
A survey conducted by Girlguiding on girls' happiness shows shocking 15 year low.
The Girls’ Attitudes Survey, conducted by Girlguiding, shows girls’ happiness levels have reached an all-time low, and highlights a steady decline in girls’ happiness year-on-year.
Alongside this worrying trend, Girlguiding reports an increase in stress and anxiety since 2009.
The annual Girls’ Attitudes Survey has been documenting how girls feel about their everyday lives for the past 15 years, as well as the pressures they face and the issues they care about.
Hannah Robinson, 17, a Girlguiding advocate in St Albans, spoke of societal pressures and expectations young women feel.
They said: "I think it's undeniable that as someone who is seen as a woman, that it will affect me.
"Now I'm going to university, there's a big wide scary world out there that won't treat me the same as my male counterparts."
The number of girls who describe themselves as very happy decreased significantly to 17% in 2023 compared to 40% in 2009.
The steepest decline was experienced by girls aged 7-10, with 57% in 2009 stating they generally feel happy, compared to 28% in 2023.
"...boys have never heard the word 'consent'..."
Hannah looks after Brownies, which are girls of the age group 7 to 10.
They said: "These are incredible young women who want to become footballers and scientists, but I do worry that when they grow up, they will experience the same pressures as me and my peers."
Alongside worries for the next generation of girls, Hannah spoke of personal experiences, which feel all too common to their peers and girls around their age.
They said: "I was first catcalled in my school uniform on my way back from school."
The report further shows worrying findings in terms of bullying, negative comments on body image, or even harassment.
A quarter of girls aged 7-10 say they’ve experienced online bullying, including mean comments or trolling, which has seen a sharp increase from 13% in 2016.
Hannah added: "In a school that's just ten minutes away from me, boys have never heard the word 'consent'."
However, not all findings from the survey proved negative.
Interestingly, girls’ aspirations have evolved; when thinking about what they’d like to achieve by the age of 30, girls aged 7-21 place the greatest value on owning a property over having a partner or being married.