Three in ten female pupils with a disability said they didn’t feel safe in school, according to a study from Girlguiding.
This compared to one in ten girls who did not have a disability, the study found. Females aged 11-16 admitted they were regularly exposed to sexist and misogynistic behaviour in school.
Around one in ten girls overall revealed they had intentionally missed school to reduce their exposure to sexual harassment. This rose to 21% among disabled girls, and 18% among females who are neurodivergent.
Almost one in five of all girls said they pretended to be less intelligent than they are, and 54% had to be careful about appearing too self-confident in front of boys for fear of abuse or mean comments.
Almost three-quarters of girls in the age group said they wanted more discussion in school around consent.
Girls are not being treated equally and are consistently made to feel like they’re not enough
Other findings include:
- 86% of girls aged 11-21 have avoided going out when dark to keep themselves safe
- Over half (56%) of girls and young women aged 11-21 say they don’t feel safe on public transport on their own
- 70% of girls and young women aged 11-21 say they have stood up for other girls’ experiencing sexism or misogyny
As a result of the findings of its Girls’ Attitudes Survey, Girlguiding is calling for:
- Local authorities and schools to publish community-specific plans to tackle misogyny, listening to the concerns of girls
- Politicians in charge of public transport, including regional mayors, to listen to girls and act to make their services safer
- The government to introduce a rating system for social media companies, based on how well they protect young people from harmful (not just illegal) content
Amanda Azeez, Acting CEO of Girlguiding, said: “Although a lot of progress has been made in creating an equal world, reading these stark findings makes us realise that in some areas, like the treatment and behaviour that girls’ face, things sadly haven’t changed at all. Girls are not being treated equally and are consistently made to feel like they’re not enough. This is not only affecting their mental health but stopping them from being themselves.
“To ensure girls’ safety and to tackle this issue, action needs to happen now, starting with listening to and involving girls and young women in how to address this. Girls should be able to rely on decision makers to keep them safe, as well as their peers for support.”
