Washington, DC (June 16, 1998) - Adolescent girls in the United States are doing better in school and having fewer babies than several years ago, but they are smoking more, suffer depression twice as frequently as boys, and often are the victims of rape and other forms of violence, says a new report.

The study, The Girls Report: What We Know and Need to Know About Growing Up Female, commissioned by the National Council for Research On Women (NCRW) and written by Lynn Phillips, examines trends in girls health, sexuality, violence, schooling, and economic conditions. The mixed picture that emerges shows that while most girls are competent and resilient, they confront numerous social and economic barriers and often are denied the opportunity to fulfill their potential.

"Despite some progress, in many areas girls remain victimized, harassed, and diminished and face very real risks that threaten their healthy development," said NCRW Executive Director Linda Basch." While The Girls Report identifies programs that have greatly benefited teenage girls and highlights girls' achievements, it also delineates the underbelly of girls' experiences."

Among the encouraging trends in the report:
	In school, girls continue to perform well in reading and language, and their math achievement now almost matches that of boys.
	The teen birth rate has declined steadily since 1992, after rising by 25 percent between 1986 and 1991.
	Although access to contraception and abortion services has been restricted in many states, more teens appear to be using contraception than ever before.

Regardless of a growing number of programs directed at girls' needs and an increased effort by girls themselves to overcome challenges, recent research reveals little or no progress on many indicators, and even a turn for the worse in some areas. For example:
	Smoking is on the rise for girls. In 1991, one in eight girls in eighth grade reported smoking (13 percent), but by 1996 the number had jumped to more than one in five (21 percent).
	Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience depression during adolescence, and are more likely to consider and attempt suicide.
	A disproportionate percentage of reported rape victims are adolescent girls. In 1992, 62 percent of all reported forcible rape cases involved victims/survivors who were younger than 17.
(see attachments from major finding from each section)

The Girls Report was written by Lynn Phillips, a professor at the New School for Social Research, in New York City. Phillips reviewed and synthesized findings from more than 200 studies, most conducted within the past five years, and drew upon interviews with prominent researchers and statements by individual girls from a wide variety of backgrounds and social groups.

Because social and economic conditions, cultural factors, and public policy have a significant impact on girls lives, the report offers specific recommendations for actions that can be taken by policy makers, parents, educators, funders, and researchers to support girls. It also includes a resource guide that describes programs aimed at improving the situation of girls and publications that illuminate adolescent girls' development, as well as a research agenda pointing to areas in need of further exploration.

"The report provides an important baseline of knowledge on adolescence as we approach the new millennium," Basch said. "By looking at girls' lives holistically, from a range of perspectives and disciplines, we hope to stimulate dialogue and collaboration among researchers, policy makers, and activists. The Girls Report also should help to shape the lens through which all of us -- government officials, the media, educators and other professionals, advocates, and the public -- view women and girls."

Among the report's conclusions and recommendations:
	Both boys and girls frequently are denied access to reproductive information, products, and services. Concerned adults should oppose laws and proposed legislation that limit adolescents' access to confidential family planning, abortion, prenatal care, prevention and treatment services for sexually transmitted diseases, and sexuality education programs.
	Recent changes in welfare laws threaten the well-being of teen mothers and their children, children living in single-parent households, and children from immigrant families. Access to job training, unemployment and disability benefit, quality daycare, comprehensive health care and better educational opportunities should be expanded for girls and their families.
	Participation in sports is linked with numerous health and other benefits. Yet despite Title IX and the increasing popularity of women's collegiate and professional sports, the percentage of high school sophomore girls who participated on athletic teams fell between 1980 and 1990. Girls' teams should be provided in all schools and communities, along with the exercise and sports opportunities for girls who traditionally have not been considered athletes.
	Parents should continue to play the primary role in supporting girls' development. In addition, educators, professionals, public officials, and other members of the community should strive to create a safe and supportive climate that nurtures girls and encourages them to develop and pursue their goals.
	Girls' concerns and perspectives often are ignored in the design and implementation of programs and research intended to address their needs. Girls should be included as partners in these activities in ways that help them gain leadership skills, develop supportive intergenerational relationships, and experience themselves as active participants in social change.

Rather than focusing on a single issue, The Girls Report takes a broad view that seeks to identify the larger social, cultural, and economic forces that affect girls' lives. Where data are available, it explores differences in the experiences of girls by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic class, and sexual orientation. It also examines the wide range of activist pursuits in which girls are involved, from environmental causes to curricular design to global human rights issues.

Adolescent boys face many of the same issues and challenges that confront girls, the report notes. However, some social and developmental factors have different implications for girls than for boys, and girls and "girls issues" traditionally have been underrepresented in research and policy debates. Nonetheless, the report maintains, "measures to improve the climate for girls almost inevitably benefit boys as well."

Copies of The Girls Report are available for $20.00 plus $3.50 for postage and handling from NCRW, Publications Department GR1, 11 Hanover Square, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10005. All orders must be prepaid. For VISA, MasterCard, and American Express orders, call NCRW at (212) 785-7335 or fax credit card information to (212) 785-7350.

VIOLENCE

While many girls endure sexual violence, battering, and harassment, violence against women is typically cast as a problem facing adults. And although three out of every four child victims/survivors of violence are girls, violence against children is typically cast in gender-neutral terms.

What We Know:
	Sexual Violence: Current estimates are that one in three to one in four girls are sexually victimized by the time they are 18 years old or seniors in high school. Adolescent girls are disproportionately the reported victims of rape, and the vast majority of these rapes are perpetrated by family members, friends or acquaintances.
	Sexual Harassment: Despite a rise in reports of peer-to-peer sexual harassment, few cases are filed and even fewer pursued. Harassment often occurs openly in schools, and in front of adults.
	Violence and Substance Abuse: High school girls who say they have experienced sexual or physical abuse are more likely to report smoking, drinking and using illegal drugs.
	Girls and Crime: Girls are much less likely to be arrested than boys; one-quarter of all juvenile arrests in 1995 involved girls. Girls are often ignored in the juvenile justice system, frequently being placed in programs and facilities intended for boys.

What We Need:
	Attention to Youth: The anti-rape and battered women's organizations must increase awareness of the prevalence of violence against girls.
	Adult Support: Adults must take a more active role in helping girls who experience sexual, emotional and physical violence.
	Encouragement of Girls' Entitlement: Girls should develop a healthy sense of entitlement and be taught how to refuse unwanted touching and sexual contact.
	Institutional Support: Schools must take far greater responsibility in ensuring that harassment of students is not tolerated. They should have clear harassment policies that stress prevention and are consistently enforced.
	Judicial Reform: Researchers and policymakers should pay more attention to girls' experiences as both victims and perpetrators of violence, and increase prevention and early intervention efforts.
	More Critical Research: More research is needed on teen domestic violence, girls' responses to violent crime, and the perspectives of girls who perpetrate violence. Researchers should also work with boys and men to learn how they relate to girls and women.

HEALTH

The traditional definition of health as merely an absence of illness needs to be broadened to include a focus on social, emotional and mental well-being, as well as positive body image. The Girls Report emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to girls' health.

What We Know:
	Early Signs: The leading causes of premature death among women - including cancer, heart disease and AIDS - are all associated with behaviors that often begin during adolescence.
	Eating Disorders: Girls and women account for nine in ten cases of eating disorders, which have the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric disorders.
	Drugs and Alcohol: Smoking is on the rise for girls. In 1991, one in eight eighth grade girls' reported smoking; by 1996, more than one in five eighth grade girls reported smoking. Girls ages 12 to 18 are now as likely as boys to drink alcohol and use illegal drugs. Drinking among girls is associated with high-risk behavior such as failure to use condoms during intercourse.
	Girls and Healthcare: Many girls lack access to health care. Asian American girls are least likely to have a regular source of health care, and white girls most likely.

What We Need:
	A Holistic Approach to Health: Research, policy discussions and programs promoting girls' health should embrace the mental and sociopolitical needs of young women, as well as the needs of their bodies.
	Empowering Programs: Girls and Young women need complete information, knowledge of available resources and options in order to make responsible life choices.
	Opportunities and Tools for Critique: Girls need to have opportunities to critique the cultural images and practices that surround them everyday.
	Expanded Athletic Opportunities: More girls need to be encouraged to participate in regular exercise, sports activities and other athletic pursuits. Particular attention should be given to providing full access to lower-income girls and girls with disabilities.
	Supportive Public Policy: Supportive public policy has been proven to break down barriers and bring about changes that may enhance girls' health. More attention needs to be paid to drug, alcohol and tobacco prevention programs and comprehensive sexuality education.
	Increased Funding and Activism: increased funding and activism are needed to overcome societal and institutional barriers to girls' health. Girls (and boys) need more access to clinics, advocacy programs and other services that promote wellness.

SEXUALITY

Girls' understandings and feelings about their sexuality are shaped not only by gender, but also by diverse cultural norms, their communities' values, and societal attitudes towards sexuality and sexual identity. Among the issues informing girls' overall sexual well being are pregnancy and reproductive rights, sexual identity; HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases; sexual abuse; sexuality education; and access to information and resources.

What We Know:
	Sexual Experiences: Too little is known about girls' sexual experiences and especially about lesbian and bisexual girls. Largely absent from government and academic research is data on the wide range of girls' sexual experiences.
	Birth Control: Although more teens are using birth control, many still want and need education about birth control and information about how to get it.
	Teen Pregnancy: The teen birth rate is declining steadily. However, the U.S. teen birth rate remains higher than that of comparable industrialized Western nations. An estimated 65 to 86 percent of teen pregnancies are unintended and nearly two-thirds of children born to teenage girls are fathered by men at least four years older than their teen partners. In 1995, of girls age 15 to 19, 53 percent of Hispanic girls, 49 percent of non-Hispanic white girls and 67 percent of African American girls reported having had intercourse.
	Abortion: Approximately 25 percent of abortions in the United States are performed on adolescent girls. As of 1994, 28 states had mandatory prenatal consent or notification laws.

What We Need:
	More Research: More information is needed to understand girls' sexual experiences and the complex issues affecting young women across sexual identities.
	Attention to Diversity: Surveys and studies about sexuality and sexual behavior need to include girls from all racial, ethnic, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds and those with disabilities.
	Improved Access to Reproductive Information, Products and Services: Both girls and boys need more and better information about birth control and abortions, and improved access to contraception.
	Access to Health Care: Better access to quality medical care is needed to ensure the health of pregnant girls and teen mothers and their children, regardless of income.
	Changes in the Welfare Reform Law: Advocates and policy makers must monitor the effects of strict provisions in the welfare reform law to ensure that pregnant teens and teens mothers and their children do not fall through the cracks.

SCHOOLING

Schools are a primary influence in adolescent intellectual, social, psychological and emotional development. Because girls' achievement and participation in school can have profound and lasting consequences on their lives, The Girls Report urges teachers, administrators, policy makers and others to gain an understanding of the factors involved.

What We Know:
	Math and Science: Through eighth grade, there is no significant difference between boys' and girls' performance in math and science, but by twelfth grade boys tend to outperform girls in both subjects. Girls are more likely than boys to attribute difficulty in math and science to personal ability. Women are less likely than men to earn doctorates, and tend to earn college degrees in health professions and education while men study computer sciences and engineering.
	Sexual Education: The last 15 years have seen an increase in sexuality education classes, but they tend to focus on hygiene and biology rather than intimacy and relationships, and address only "normal" heterosexuality.

What We Need:
	More Research on Single-Sex Learning Environments: More research needs to be conducted on single-sex learning environments, including the long- and short-term impact of single-sex education on gender equity.
	Follow-Up on Key Research Findings: As a massive body of research recommends, schools should provide girls with diverse female role models, cooperative learning approaches and opportunities to take leadership roles to explore careers.
	Encouragement of Academic Achievement: The achievement levels of boys and girls must be improved. Girls also need to increase their sense of competence, especially in math and science. Educators must encourage girls to consider wider career options and discourage them from attributing academic difficulty to personal failure.
	Comprehensive Sexuality Education: Developmentally appropriate, comprehensive sexuality education that recognizes a range of sexual choices and perspectives and focuses on sexual health should be made available to all students.
	Expanded Research Questions: Educational research should address girls' experiences and outcomes, and the interactions of sex, race, class, culture and educational background in shaping boys' and girls' achievement and learning experiences.
	Funding: More funding should be directed to: designing and implementing curricula that promote gender equity and cultural awareness; professional development; girls' programs in math, science, technology and related fields; and public schools.

ECONOMIC REALITIES

Very little information exists on economic conditions specific to girls, although considerable data is available on the families in which they live. There is particular need for information about girls from poor or low-income families, because economic constraints can have a major impact on the options and resources available to them.

What We Know:
	Families in Poverty: Despite the healthy economy, in 1996 approximately 7.7 million families and 36.5 million individuals lived in poverty.
	Children in Poverty: In 1992, 17 percent of white children, 39 percent of Hispanic children and 46 percent of black children under age 18 lived in poverty. One in 12 American children lived in poverty continuously for a two-year period in the early 1990s.
	Teen Mothers: Teenage mothers under age 20 comprised 7 percent of all adult female recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children in 1995.
	Households Headed by Single Mothers: Households headed by single mothers are by far the poorest families. Families headed by women with no spouse were 18.2 percent of all families in 1996 but more that half (54.1 percent) of families living in poverty.
	Income Disparities: Among full-time, year-round workers, men earn more money than women across all levels of educational attainment. The income disparities are even greater for minorities.

What We Need:
	Greater Activism: Girls and their families need greater access to job training; expanded unemployment and disability benefits; quality daycare; affordable health care; better educational opportunities; and greater attention to the effects of poverty.
	Increased Societal Awareness: More consciousness-raising is needed to identify assumptions and practices that stereotype and discriminate against people living in poverty.
	More Research: Research is needed to identify the different ways poverty affects girls and boys. In particular, research and action are needed to address the implications of withdrawing welfare benefits from teenage mothers.
	Stronger Funding and Public Policy: Funding is needed to support job training programs for teens, immigrant rights organizations, and quality daycare programs that allow teens to work and continue their education. Policies need to counter hiring practices that discriminate against women and girls. Public policy must incorporate a recognition that poverty and related problems are not caused by children and families "at risk", nor is risk an individual phenomenon. Policy discussion should focus on amelioration and social conditions that promote poverty.

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