A new report from the Indiana Youth Institute seeks to better understand how Hoosier girls are doing.
The institute teamed up with the Girl Coalition of Indiana and Girl Scouts to produce the Indiana Girl Report — only the second of its kind since the team published its first edition in 2023.
The 96-page report draws from statewide data sources to document in one place how Indiana girls are doing in their family life, academics and mental health. The report is divided into sections on physical, academic, emotional and social wellness.
Indiana Youth Institute officials said in a news release that this year’s report goes deeper into issues like mental health and social well-being. They also highlight new information on positive childhood experiences and interpersonal aggression.
Statistics in this year’s report — data for which can trail back a couple years — show that girls experience bullying at double the rate of Hoosier boys, cyberbullying at triple the rate of boys and sexual violence at four and a half times the rate of boys.
In addition to drawing attention to such trends, the report makes recommendations for ways adults can support Hoosier girls. For example, classroom teachers can consistently enforce anti-bullying policies in schools, program providers can make sure their staff is properly trained to work with youth and caregivers should check in with young girls regularly and conduct open, non-judgemental conversations about difficult topics, such as mental health and sexual harassment.
The report also lists prominent resources, such as the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (call 1-800-273-TALK or text 988); the National Sexual Assault Hotline (call 1-800-656-HOPE); the National Dating Violence Hotline (call 1-866-331-9474 or text LOVEIS to 22522; and the National Child Abuse Hotline (call or text 1-800-422-4453) which can help a girl in crisis.
The full Indiana Girl Report is available to download from the Indiana Youth Institute’s website. The institute also makes available an online dashboard where readers can search for counties of interest and compare data from across the state.
Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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