28% of gang- involved boys but only 5% of other boys reported that they had been threatened with a knife or a gun in the current year in school. Corresponding percentages for girls were 18% of gang-involved girls but only 2% of other girls.
Research
Through the financial support of the Women's Initiative, United Way of Central Massachusetts, the Investing in Girls Alliance commissioned a local needs assessment. The task of this research was to gather information from parents, adolescent girls, and local agency service providers. The goal was simple: identify the challenges our girls face that impede them from leading successful lives.
Research Highlights
- 71% of middle-school girls surveyed identified the biggest problem for them as educational demands.
- 51% of girls identified violence and sex as the top two issues that adults should focus on addressing.
- Almost three quarters (73%) of the respondents identified peer pressure and sex as challenges facing girls.
- 74% of the girls said that sports and fitness programs-with options for "girls-only"-should be a priority if new programs are going to be created. 36% also indicated that additional career and life planning programs are needed.
Recent Reports
-
November 19, 2010
-
November 15, 2010
-
November 11, 2010
-
November 9, 2010
-
September 22, 2010
-
May 18, 2010
-
May 7, 2010
-
April 22, 2010
-
February 1, 2010
-
April 2, 2009
