Girls as Young as Age Five Feel Lonely and It Takes a Toll on Their Confidence, According to New Research from Girl Scouts of the USA

Though confidence dips with age, girls feel empowered with a friend by their side.

NEW YORK, May 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The vast majority of girls ages 5–13 experience loneliness—and the feeling intensifies with age. This is just one of the compelling findings from new research by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA), the largest girl-serving organization in the world. The study reveals that as girls grow older, feelings of loneliness increase and, in turn, confidence decreases. But there's encouraging news: the data also points to the power of friendship in boosting girls' confidence to try new things. 

Girl Scout programming, which emphasizes making friends in peer groups with caring and supportive adults, is more important today than ever. According to the latest findings from a recent GSUSA survey, completed in partnership with Wakefield Research, nearly 70% of girls ages 5–13 experience loneliness. These findings underscore the urgent need for interventions that foster meaningful connections and self-assurance among young girls. Key highlights from the research include:

• Loneliness Increases with Age: Survey results show that loneliness escalates as girls get older. 64% of girls ages 5–7, 67% of girls ages 8–10 and 73% of girls ages 11–13 reported feelings of loneliness.
• As Loneliness Grows, Confidence Drops: While 86% of girls ages 5–7 expressed belief in their ability to tackle challenges, this figure drops to 80% among girls ages 8–10 and to 73% among 11–13-year-old girls.
• Friendship Is a Confidence Booster: Companionship helps girls try things they wouldn't otherwise do alone. For more than half of the girls surveyed, having a friend by their side encourages them to try new things (52%) like talk to a new kid (52%); 50% would join a new group with a friend.
• Girls Prefer Real Interactions to Screen Time: Most girls would prefer to be creative (63%), go outside and play (59%) or spend time with their family (59%) rather than spend all their time on screens. Despite the ubiquity of digital devices, these results point to girls' desires for a range of authentic experiences and interpersonal connections.

"We know that there is a loneliness crisis among today's girls and that the pandemic led to major disruptions in their sense of community, to strains on their mental health and to a great deal of social isolation and anxiety," said Bonnie Barczykowski, CEO of GSUSA. "This new data reveals that girls as young as 5 are feeling lonely and underscores the critical importance of girls fostering meaningful connections in their lives and building resilience. Parents and caregivers want their girls to have access to a broad array of activities that will boost their confidence, personal growth and connectedness with others—that is exactly what Girl Scouts provides."

In collaboration with partners like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and National Council for Mental Wellbeing—and made possible by grants from many other organizations invested in mental wellness—GSUSA offers a suite of mental wellness resources and programming aimed at supporting girls, council staff, and adult volunteers.

"As we navigate the complexities of today's digital age, it's imperative to prioritize genuine connections and emotional well-being," emphasized Dr. Christine Crawford, Associate Medical Director of NAMI. "These findings serve as a wake-up call, urging us to redouble our efforts in fostering supportive environments where girls feel empowered to express themselves and seek support."

Girls of any age can join Girl Scouts to form lasting friendships and build self-confidence. In recent years, loneliness has been connected to overall mental health and well-being. To combat this, Girl Scouts' current mental wellness programming includes:

• Resilient. Ready. Strong. Patch Program
  • Introduced in 2021 and available to girls in grades K–12, this patch program empowers girls to build their resilience and confront challenges with confidence.
• Mental Wellness 101
  • Designed for troop leaders and adult volunteers, this training program equips participants with the knowledge and tools to promote mental wellness within the Girl Scout community.
• Mental Wellness Patch Program
  • Tailored for girls ages 9 to 17, this initiative provides practical tools to identify and address feelings while encouraging help-seeking behavior.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
  • Created for council staff, troop leaders and volunteers, YMHFA delivers vital information to better support youth mental wellbeing and address common mental health and substance use challenges. 
• Making Friends
  • Designed for Brownies (girls ages 7–9), the Making Friends badge program teaches girls how to make introductions, show they care, and enjoy things together.

For more information about our programming and this data, or to sign up for Girl Scouts, visit girlscouts.org.

We are Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts bring their dreams to life and work together to build a better world. Through programs from coast to coast, Girl Scouts of all backgrounds and abilities can be unapologetically themselves as they discover their strengths and rise to meet new challenges—whether they want to climb to the top of a tree or the top of their class, lace up their boots for a hike or advocate for climate justice, or make their first best friends. Backed by adult volunteers, mentors, and millions of alums, Girl Scouts lead the way as they find their voices and make changes that affect the issues most important to them. To join us, volunteer, reconnect, or donate, visit girlscouts.org.   

Survey Methodology
The GSUSA survey was conducted by Wakefield Research (http://www.wakefieldresearch.com) via an email invitation and online survey sent to 1,000 U.S. girls ages 5 to 13, between March 19 and March 31, 2024. The data has been weighted.

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SOURCE GIRL SCOUTS OF THE U.S.A.