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The Supergirl Dilemma: Girls Feel the Pressure to Be Perfect, Accomplished, Thin, and Accommodating

Posted on: Friday, 13 October 2006, 12:00 CDT

NEW YORK, Oct. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The Supergirl Dilemma: Girls Grapple with the Mounting Pressure of Expectations, a new research report from Girls Inc., reveals that girls today experience intense pressure, at ever younger ages, to be everything to everyone all of the time. Girls are particularly frustrated with the growing expectations that girls should please everyone, be very thin, and dress "right." And while stereotypes about girls' leadership capabilities and math and science abilities have diminished, persistent gender stereotypes and escalating stress levels limit girls' potential and undermine their quality of life.

"There are so many pressures of being a teenage girl," writes a 9th grader who participated in the study. "You never feel like you're thin enough, pretty enough, or just good enough."

The survey was commissioned by Girls Incorporated and conducted online by Harris Interactive between March 14 and 30, 2006. The survey of 2,065 U.S. students (including 1,059 girls and 1,006 boys) in grades 3-12 and 1,005 adults ages 18 and over focused on the ways gender stereotypes and expectations shape the lives of girls and boys. The study generated complex, compelling data that give voice to girls' opinions, aspirations, and fears.

Key findings and conclusions: -- Persistent gender expectations are being compounded by a growing emphasis on perfection, resulting in mounting pressure on girls to be supergirls. Three-quarters of girls (74%) in the study agree that girls are under a lot of pressure to please everyone, and 84% of these girls say that they dislike that this is true. -- Girls say they are under a great deal of stress today. Three-quarters (74%) of girls in grades 9-12, over half of girls (56%) in grades 6-8, and just under half of girls (46%) in grades 3-5 say they often feel stressed (describes them "somewhat" or "a lot"). -- Girls want to seize the opportunities available to them, with 71% of participants reporting that they aspire to go to college full time after graduating from high school. However, stress and concerns such as the cost of college undermine girls' quality of life, particularly as they get older. -- Support systems bolster girls' ability to believe they can achieve their dreams and endure stress, and yet one in ten girls (12%) and one in five high school girls (20%) say they do not know three adults to whom to turn if they have a problem. -- Girls and boys face different stereotypes and concerns-girls are expected to be the nurturers and caretakers; 84% of girls and 87% of boys believe girls are "supposed to be kind and caring." Boys, on the other hand, are expected to be protectors; 88% of girls and 94% of boys believe that boys are "supposed to be able to protect themselves and others." -- Women are especially frustrated by the limiting expectations facing girls, because these challenges echo their professional and social struggles. Eight in ten women (84%) believe that girls are under a lot of pressure to please everyone; 91% of these women dislike that this is true.

"Society still sees girls through a gender lens that requires them to be pretty and passive, while increasingly expecting girls to be smart and successful. The findings in The Supergirl Dilemma underscore the need to pay close attention and deconstruct the messages girls receive in and outside of the home," says Joyce M. Roche, President and CEO of Girls Inc. "We have to acknowledge girls' concerns, contributions, and experiences and help them be 'super' in ways that are comfortable and healthy."

The study makes it clear that girls are internalizing our culture's conflicting and unrealistic expectations of girls and women. Particularly troubling is the overemphasis on physical perfection, even at very young ages. Half of girls in grades 3-5 (54%) and three-quarters of girls in grades 6-8 (74%) and grades 9-12 (76%) report that they worry about their appearance. "Even today," sums up one 9th grade girl, "society values beauty in girls over intelligence and talent."

The Supergirl Dilemma examines the implications of the findings and offers recommendations for addressing the issues raised by the data. Here, too, girls themselves offer cogent directions. "It is hard to live up to what everyone wants for us," says a 3rd grade girl. "We need to do things at our own pace and in our own time. And just believe in us; support us as we grow up."

The study was made possible with support from IBM Corporation and additional generous support from Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

To obtain the full report of The Supergirl Dilemma in PDF format, contact Taiia Smart Young at TSYoung@girls-inc.org.

METHODOLOGY

This survey was conducted online by Harris Interactive on behalf of Girls Inc. among 2,065 U.S. students (including 1,059 girls and 1,006 boys) in grades 3-12 and 1,005 U.S. adults (ages 18 and over) within the United States between March 14 and 30, 2006 (for students) and March 14 and 28, 2006 (for adults). Figures for grade, sex, race/ethnicity, urbanicity, parents' education and region (for students) and age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, household income and region (for adults) were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was also used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

With a pure probability sample of 2,065 one could say with a ninety-five percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- two percentage points. Sampling error for data based on sub-samples would be higher and would vary. However that does not take other sources of error into account. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and therefore no theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

ABOUT GIRLS INCORPORATED

Girls Incorporated(R) is a nonprofit organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.(SM) With local roots dating to 1864 and national status since 1945, Girls Inc. has responded to the changing needs of girls and their communities through research-based programs and advocacy that empower girls to reach their full potential and to understand, value, and assert their rights. Girls Inc. public education extends our empowering messages to a broad audience, offering tools for both girls and adults to engage actively with our mission.

Programs focus on science, math, and technology, health and sexuality, economic and financial literacy, sports skills, leadership and advocacy, and media literacy for girls ages 6 to 18 throughout the United States and in Canada. While our goal is to reach all girls, we recognize that girls in at- risk communities have an even greater need for our programs. Of those we serve, 71 percent are girls of color and 71 percent come from families earning $25,000 or less. 47 percent are from single-parent households, most of which are headed by women.

In 2005, Girls Inc. reached nearly 800,000 girls through Girls Inc. affiliates, our website (http://www.girlsinc.org/), and educational products. Guided by our vision of empowered girls and an equitable society, Girls Inc. is committed to reaching millions more girls through its programs and public education efforts.

ABOUT HARRIS INTERACTIVE

Harris Interactive is the 12th largest and fastest-growing market research firm in the world. The company provides research-driven insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what could conceivably be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in France and through a global network of independent market research firms. The service bureau, HISB, provides its market research industry clients with mixed-mode data collection, panel development services as well as syndicated and tracking research consultation. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained at http://www.harrisinteractive.com/.

Girls Inc.

CONTACT: Taiia Smart Young, +1-212-509-2000, ext. 229,Tsyoung@girls-inc.org

Web site: http://www.girlsinc.org/http://www.harrisinteractive.com/

Source: PRNewswire

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