Girls and young women don’t feel safe in their daily lives – online, in public, when outside on their own or at school. Worryingly, not enough is happening to change this: not all girls and young women are learning about healthy relationships and harassment at school. However, reforming relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) in England has improved things, with clear differences in girls’ and young women’s learning experience across the nations.

Safety online

A quarter (26%) of girls and young women aged 11 to 21 don’t feel safe when they’re online. And more than 2 in 5 (46%) think there should be a way to make sure someone is old enough to use social media platforms.

Over half (54%) of girls and young women aged 11 to 21 also think there should be a way to verify someone’s identity online. Girls and young women of colour were less likely to think this than White girls (44% compared to 59%).

It’s important that verification doesn’t stop girls and young women creating anonymous accounts, because this can make them feel safer online. This is especially true for LGBTQ+ girls and young women, with 2 in 5 (40%) saying so compared to 27% who are not LGBTQ+.

More than a third (36%) of girls and young women are put off certain jobs, like politics, because of the abuse high profile women get online. This peaks in the North of England, where 41% are put off compared to 34% in London and the South. More disabled girls and young women are put off (49%) compared to those who aren’t disabled (34%). And young women of colour aged 17 to 21 were more likely to be put off than white girls (42% compared to 34%).