Across many of the indicators we track on Minnesota Compass, we have seen the historical gaps between women and girls and men and boys shrinking. Larger shares of women enroll in and graduate from college, and the gap between women and men in the workforce has narrowed. However, when we look at Minnesota’s adolescent girls, we see some worrying signs around social connection and feelings of safety.
On many academic measures, girls fare better
Minnesota girls have slightly better outcomes than boys across many academic measures. For example:
- A slightly greater share of girls meet 3rd grade reading standards, compared to boys.
- Equivalent shares of girls and boys meet 8th grade math standards.
- A slightly greater share of girls graduate from high school on time, compared to boys.
- More girls than boys enroll in postsecondary education, and they go on to graduate at a higher rate.
Yet, even as girls edge ahead in the classroom, we see red flags concerning their social and emotional well-being. On two measures that Minnesota Compass tracks – feelings of safety at school and connection to caring adults – we see girls’ well-being drop as they enter adolescence, and at a much faster rate than boys.
Smaller shares of adolescent girls feel safe at school
The vast majority of Minnesota’s students – 87% – feel safe at school. But the percentages are lower for adolescent girls:
- Compared to younger girls: Shares of girls in middle and high school grades who feel safe at school are 7-8 percentage points lower than among girls in elementary school.
- Compared to boys in the same grade: Feelings of safety among adolescent boys remain steady across middle and high school grades, while they are noticeably lower among adolescent girls.
Additionally, the trend is pointing in the wrong direction. While 93% of girls reported feeling safe at school in 2016, that percentage dropped to 85% by 2022.
Smaller shares of adolescent girls feel connected to caring adults
About half of Minnesota’s students – 54% – report feeling that teachers, school staff, and other adults in the community care about them. But here again, smaller shares of adolescent girls feel connected to a caring, non-family adult:
- Compared to younger girls: Three-quarters of girls in 5th grade feel connected to a caring adult, but less than half of girls in middle and high school grades report the same.
- Compared to boys in the same grade: In middle and high school grades, smaller shares of all students – but especially girls – feel connected to caring adults. Across these grades, shares are markedly lower among girls than among boys in the same grade.
As with feelings of safety, this trend for adolescent girls is pointing in the wrong direction. In 2016, 59% of girls reported feeling connected to a caring adult, but that percentage has since dropped to 50%.
Adolescent girls are engaged in activities – that just doesn’t seem to be enough
Minnesota girls across grade levels participate in extracurriculars at a slightly higher rate than boys, with about 2 in 3 girls reporting that they participate in sports, clubs, and lessons three days a week or more. It is also encouraging that girls continue to stay highly engaged outside of school through middle and high school.
That level of engagement gives girls a source of external connection, and a “third space” to be safe outside of home and school. But we can see from the other measures we track that that involvement isn’t enough to keep adolescent girls feeling safe and valued.
Keeping an eye on warning signs as we look ahead
Being safe at school and connected to caring adults are two of the external Developmental Assets® or positive supports that have been shown to contribute to youth being successful in adulthood. Without feelings of safety and connection, girls are at higher risk of engaging in risky behaviors, such as substance use, sexual promiscuity, and unhealthy eating. These data point to the fact that merely engaging girls in out-of-school activities is not enough, but that intentional efforts need to be made to ensure girls feel safe and connected both in and out of school.
Resources and information
Parents, educators, and policymakers need to be aware that many girls struggle as they enter middle school, and we need intentional efforts to make sure they feel safe and connected at home, in school, and beyond as they enter adolescence. Here are some resources:
- Search Institute
Research-backed solutions that help adults make a real difference in young people’s lives - The complicated ties between teenage girls and social media—and what parents should know
- Girls are struggling with their mental health. Here’s what parents can do
- Girls’ mental health guide: Understanding the state of girls’ mental health today and how caregivers can provide support
- Social media and youth mental health
This U.S. Surgeon General’s advisory calls attention to the growing concerns of the effects of social media on youth mental health - The Minnesota partnership for adolescent and young Adult Health: An action plan to guide adolescent and young adult health in Minnesota
More information:
- NAMI: Unpacking the invalidation of girls’ experiences
- Teenage girls experiencing record high levels of sadness, violence and trauma, CDC says (video)
- Teens, social media, and mental health
A report by the Pew Research Center on teens’ and parents’ views on social media - Why is social connection so hard for Gen Z?
- Women’s Foundation of Minnesota status of women and girls report
A research-based project to identify key issues and offer solutions
