Indiana Youth Institute & Girl Coalition of Indiana Release 2024 Indiana Girl Report: A Data-Driven Roadmap for Improving the Lives of Indiana Girls
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 26, 2024
Offering valuable data and insights, the 2024 report provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities faced by girls across Indiana.
Indianapolis, IN – Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), in partnership with the Girl Coalition of Indiana (Girl Co.) and Girl Scouts, is proud to announce the release of the 2024 Indiana Girl Report. This comprehensive report offers a detailed look into the well-being of girls across the state, providing crucial data, and insights into the challenges and opportunities they face.
“The 2024 Indiana Girl Report is more than a collection of data,” said Tami Silverman, President and CEO of IYI. “It is an example of the foundational role data has in our collective work to care for and improve the lives of Indiana kids. We are proud to collaborate with Girl Co., who is dedicated to leveraging data for impactful change. Together, we are making strides towards a brighter future for every girl in Indiana.”
For over 30 years, IYI has served as Indiana’s KIDS COUNT® affiliate, part of a national network dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on child well-being. The 2024 Indiana Girl Report builds on last year’s inaugural report, delving even deeper aggregating critical information from even more sources to bring state-wide consciousness to the issues such as mental health, social well-being, positive childhood experiences, and addressing interpersonal aggression. Data from the report details:
Positive Childhood Experiences:
- In 2021-2022, 30.7% of female children between 6 and 17 years did not participate in organized activities or lessons, marking the highest rate among the four neighboring states.
- In the 2022-2023 school year, 8,024 homeless female students were enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, reflecting a 10% increase from the previous school year.
Addressing Interpersonal Aggression
- From 2022 to 2023, there was an increase in four of the five types of bullying incidents and the overall number of bullying incidents among female students in kindergarten through 12th grade in Indiana.
- 17.2% of female high school students reported they experienced sexual dating violence in the past year, a rate nearly seven times higher than the reported rate for male students (2.5%).
Access to Mental Health Supports
- More than half (51.3%) of caregivers with female children between the ages of 3 and 17 years reported they experienced difficulties in finding the necessary mental health treatment or counseling their child needed, which was lower than the national rate (55.7%) and that of male children under 18 (61.6%).
- In 2022, female students in 7th through 12th grade in Indiana were twice as likely as their male peers to report several mental health issues, such as feeling sad or hopeless for over two weeks, seriously considering suicide, and making a plan about how to attempt suicide.
Academic Proficiency
- Nearly 45% of female students in grades 3rd through 12th demonstrated proficiency on the English/Language Arts Indiana’s Learning Evaluation and Assessment Readiness Network (ILEARN) assessment – a 19% higher difference when compared to their male counterparts. However, only 38% achieved proficiency in Math, reflecting a lower achievement score than boys.
- The gender gap is also evident in national assessments, such as the NAEP Mathematics scores for fourth graders, where Indiana had the second-highest gender gap nationally in 2022.
- In 2023, the graduation rate for female students was 90.7%, surpassing both the previous year and the state average. Not only did the female cohort graduate at a higher rate, nearly 44% of these graduates received an Honors diploma, a much higher rate than their male peers – in line with historical data.
Silverman further emphasized the importance of understanding and addressing the unique experiences of all girls in Indiana. “While it’s natural to first think about the girls closest to us, it’s crucial that we begin with a perspective that includes all girls across our state. Central to supporting the well-being of Indiana girls is understanding who they are. Our work centers on evidence and facts about how girls are faring in our state. The potential for innovation, problem-solving, and impacting the lives of girls is only as good as our understanding of the children and youth that we aim to serve.”
The report not only provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of girls in Indiana but also offers actionable recommendations for parents, youth service providers, and policymakers. It includes data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other key demographics, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the diverse experiences of Indiana girls.
Girl Co. is founded and inspired by the six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana and is committed to using this data to lead conversations, implement programs, and initiate efforts to improve the lives of girls. The coalition’s work exemplifies bold innovation grounded in data, aiming to create environments where every girl can thrive.
A full copy of the report can be found at iyi.org
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About Indiana Youth Institute
Since 1988, Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) has worked to achieve its mission to improve the lives of all Indiana children by strengthening and connecting the people, organizations, and communities focused on kids and youth. IYI provides critical data, capacity-building resources, and innovative training for over 2,500 diverse youth-serving organizations and 17,000 youth workers annually. IYI has a long history of actively listening to Indiana’s youth workers and community leaders, leveraging their feedback to facilitate collaboration and promote problem-solving and collective advocacy statewide.
About Girl Coalition of Indiana
Girl Coalition of Indiana (Girl Co.) is a statewide, girl-focused, social innovation initiative. It was founded and inspired by the six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana to create space for dreaming, ideating, testing, and developing new ways to serve all girls, especially those living in low-income communities.
Through this initiative, Girl Co. works on behalf of the Girl Scout councils across Indiana to deeply embed in communities, learn more about the needs of girls and families in 20 specific counties, and create innovative ideas that remove barriers for girls to access beneficial and impactful experiences. This work seeks to enable every girl in Indiana to live her best life physically, academically, emotionally, and socially.
Additionally, Girl Co. is conducting, sharing, and acting on annual research of the state of all Indiana girls to lead a collaborative, multi-organizational approach to ensuring the well-being of girls is prioritized in Indiana.
About Girl Scouts
As Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Experiences are designed so girls of all backgrounds and abilities embrace their true selves, discover their strengths and new skills, and rise to meet new challenges. Supported by dedicated adult volunteers, mentors, supporters, and a robust network of alumnae, Girl Scouts provides safe spaces where every girl can be unapologetically herself, find adventure and give back to community. By fostering an environment of inclusion and empowerment, and backed by insightful research, Girl Scouts encourages every girl to grow, learn, and lead. Girl Scouts has shaped generations of confident, capable, and compassionate women committed to making a positive impact on the world.
About the Indiana Girl Report
The 2024 Indiana Girl Report is an overview of the well-being of Indiana girls statewide. A partnership between the Girl Coalition of Indiana, Girl Scouts, and Indiana Youth Institute, the Indiana Girl Report aims to understand girls’ realities and the variances across regions. The Indiana Girl Report includes: girl specific data sourced from IYI’s Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book and other relevant data sets; girl-specific data by sub-groups inclusive of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, age, mental and physical ability, and other characteristics when available; girl-specific multi-year trends related to emotional health indicators, physical health indicators, academic performance, and social wellness; data-driven actions for parents, youth service providers, and policymakers to improve support and overall conditions for Indiana girls.