About the survey
Girls’ Attitudes is a survey of girls from across the United
Kingdom aged 7-21 years on their attitudes towards key social,
political and economic issues.
The survey consisted of five categories, which girls within the
guiding movement had previously identified as the most interesting
areas to question their peers on:
- family and relationships
- education, training, skills and careers
- society, culture and community
- the environment
- health and wellbeing.
The cohort was divided into three age groups: 7-11, 11-16 and
16-21 years, with an age-appropriate questionnaire devised for
each. Certain common questions were also asked of all groups.
The girls surveyed form a representative sample of girls and young
women across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland and were
not chosen specifically from within the membership of Girlguiding
UK. Booster interviews and data weighting have been employed where
necessary to adjust imbalances during fieldwork.
Fieldwork took place between 11 May and 15 July 2009 through 1,109
questionnaires predominantly completed online by the girls.
Girlguiding UK
With over half a million members between the ages of 5 and 25,
Girlguiding UK is the largest organisation just for girls in the
UK. We also have more than 80,000 trained adult volunteers who give
up their time to our organisation and contribute around ten million
hours every year.
Celebrating its historic Centenary this year, 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 400
schools throughout the UK, but also conducts research outside of
school when appropriate.
Find out more about ChildWise at www.childwise.co.uk.