About the survey
More than 1,200 girls and young women aged between 7 and 21 took
part in the 2011 Girls’ Attitudes Survey. A cross section of girls
across the UK were asked about their attitudes to key social,
political and economic issues, building on the surveys carried out
in 2009 and 2010.
The survey covers five topic areas, which were put forward by
girls within the guiding movement as areas that are important and
interesting.
- Family and Relationships
- Environment and World Events
- Education, Training, Skills and Careers
- Society, Culture and Community
- Health and Wellbeing
Questions were designed to follow up views identified in the
previous surveys and explore them in greater depth. To ensure the
questions were relevant to girls aged 7 to 21, a panel of young
women from within the guiding movement worked with the project team
to develop the 2011 survey.
The research is representative of all girls and young women
across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and is not
restricted to those involved in guiding. Data was weighted at
analysis to ensure broad regional representation.
The majority of interviews were completed online, with 7-16 year
olds doing this in school, whilst the older age group were
interviewed via an online panel. Additional face to face interviews
were carried out with young women who were not in education,
employment, or training, to ensure that this potentially
marginalised group was fully represented.
The questionnaire was adapted to be suitable for different age
groups, 7-11, 11-16 and 16-21 years. Core questions were asked
across the full age range, so that changes in attitudes as girls
get older can be tracked.
Fieldwork took place during March and April 2011.
Girlguiding UK
Girlguiding UK is the UK’s largest voluntary organisation for
girls and young women, with around 530,000 members and recognised
volunteers. Over a third of girls and young women (aged 7-21) are
involved in guiding, or have been in the past and almost half of
all the women in the UK have been involved in guiding at some stage
in their lives. We run Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Senior
Section, enabling girls and young women to develop their potential
whatever their ability or background. We are striving to offer new
opportunities to a broad diversity of communities through our
expanding network of 61,000 trained volunteer Leaders.
Last year we celebrated our Centenary, and the fact that guiding
continues to offer girls and young women fun and challenging
programmes that allow each and every individual to pursue their
interests and develop their potential. Today’s Guides – as well as
Rainbows, Brownies and Senior Section members – are involved in an
incredibly diverse range of activities, from community projects to
volunteering in developing countries.
We are a girl-led organisation. That means we seek and act upon
the views of our members, and they take the lead in deciding what
they want to do, and how they want the organisation to develop. By
conducting research such as this, we not are not only providing a
platform for all girls’ voices to be heard, but we also ensure that
as a youth organisation we will continue to meet the needs of girls
and young women in the years to come.
ChildWise
ChildWise is an independent market research agency specialising
in research with children and young people, and with those who are
involved with children, including parents, grandparents, teachers
and other professionals.
Most of their research is carried out for individual clients.
Topics range from internet use, television, sport and leisure, to
social issues such as experience of crime, child safety and self
perception. ChildWise works primarily through a panel of over 500
schools throughout the UK, but also conducts research outside of
school when appropriate.
Find out more about ChildWise at http://www.childwise.co.uk.