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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.