2024 Indiana Girl report
When the heads of six Girl Scout Councils sat down with the Executive Director of the Girl Coalition of Indiana, Mackenzie Pickerrell, they were discouraged by the disparities they saw between what girls and their young peers experience.
The 2023 Indiana Girl Report showed that girls experience bullying twice as often, cyberbullying three times as often, and sexual violence four times as often as boys. Girls also report experiencing clinical depression at twice the rate of boys.
As they prepared for a 2024 report, Mackenzie wanted to understand what underlying factors might be driving these disparities. So in January, Aim & Arrow joined the team to seek out context and perspective. More importantly, we wanted to create a resounding call to action on behalf of Indiana girls.
“The Aim & Arrow team was relentless in seeking answers, patient in explaining the research and data to our team, and creative in building solutions and calls to action to address gender disparities. We are grateful for their work enabling us to drive impact across the state of Indiana so all girls are able to live their best lives physically, academically, emotionally, and socially.”
Mackenzie Pickerrell
what does the data tell us?
We started by looking at national data to understand the patterns we were seeing in Indiana. We learned a few things right away.
Similar Trends: the disparities in Indiana are mirrored across the country and, sometimes, the world.
Interrelated Issues: We learned that bullying and sexual violence are often rooted in childhood trauma – and remain connected through the life cycle. Both also have significant negative mental health impacts.
Urgent Need: girls are disproportionately driving overall increases in the numbers of youth being hospitalized for serious mental health issues.
Shared Levers for Change: There are protective factors that can mitigate these impacts, as well as evidence-based prevention and mental health access strategies that can stop them from happening in the first place.
We acknowledged the crucial role that mental health plays in the problem — and affirmed its centrality to any potential solution.
we had to hear from girls.
“Girls feel they must be perfect, yet it is never enough. It’s confusing. You’re supposed to be this way, but you’re also supposed to be the opposite. It’s hard to just be who you are.”
Caregivers, educators, and program providers offered context for the disparities they see girls navigate each day. Meanwhile, listening & design sessions with girls allowed us to explore what changes would make the biggest difference to them. Trusted community members helped us create safe spaces for dialogue. We focused on areas where gender disparities are compounded by factors like racism, income inequality, and limited access to mental health care.
We asked – if you had to speak for all Indiana girls, what would you want to say? If you had a magic wand – what would be different for you, or for girls where you live?
together, we identified solutions that work and that matter to girls.
Discussing Sensitive Issues
Girls want adults to create – and maintain a safe environment. They want us to give them consistent and adequate responses to sensitive issues – so they feel it’s worth it to speak up. They want to understand how to build healthy relationships, and seek practical help and safety as they navigate the threat of (or fallout from) sexual and dating violence.
Trusted adults in the lives of girls take the onus off of girls to bring up difficult conversations by initiating open, non-judgmental conversations about mental health, sexual harassment and violence, and bullying. Partner with a community based organization or social worker to ensure girls who disclose incidences of violence can receive support – and keep the numbers below on hand for girls that come to you for help. Support all adolescents to develop skills around healthy behaviors, communication, and relationship building.
Navigating Social Media
Over the last few decades, kids have had less freedom in the “real” world and more adult supervision. But those same kids have very little supervision online – where perhaps they need it most.
Girls are overwhelmed by constant access to information. They call cyberbullying ‘relentless.’ But – they want adults to know that their phones can be a source of joy and connection. Social media, they say, helps them learn more about mental health and connect with others with similar lived experiences.
Caregivers talk about social media with your child – including time, types of content, interactions and activities, and whether engagement is interfering with essential activities like sleep and time with peers. Consider using tools like the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Family Media Plan.
Setting Policy and Leading the Way
Thriving girls need strong communities. Seek solutions that overcome barriers arising from economic and racial disparities. Address social determinants of health to build family financial security and community stability.
Schools are the de facto system for student mental health – yet many girls say they do not feel safe there. Support schools to engage in evidence-based prevention and intervention programs. Ensure adequate ratios of social workers in every school. Align social-emotional learning and sexual health curricula with federal standards. Train teachers in trauma-informed practices and review school policies with a trauma-informed lens.
Consider the impact on girls when debating policy and administrative changes.
Treat them like a constituency.
Ask them what they think.
And ultimately…
ask them to run.
Junior Girl Scouts for Sisterhood
Aim & Arrow partner Devi Raja and her Girl Scout friends in the 1990’s
Brownies for Equal Rights
Elizabeth’s daughters, Teddy and Charlotte Cole at the March for Women’s Lives in 2017
