Diversity and Inclusion
Most girls have a decent understanding of what diversity means and are willing to promote and embrace it in their daily lives at school and at home from listening to and making friends with others different from themselves, to standing up for other girls who are being picked on because they may be different than others. Yet although girls are more inclined to get angry and stand up for others victimized because of perceived disabilities, they are less inclined to do so for others victimized because of religion.
Statistics
(Source: Girl Scout Research Institute, Girl Survey Panel, N=351, April 2008)
• When asked "what is your understanding of diversity?" girls' responses showed a prevailing connection to a difference of beliefs, backgrounds, religions, people, race or abilities, with only 11% not having heard of the word before, or having heard it but not understanding it. See the chart below for percentages.
• Girls talk about diversity to their families and friends differently. Over half (56%) of girls talk about diversity with their families often or all the time. For nearly 40% of girls, family conversation about diversity is situational: when it is a school or class project (10%) or when something happens related to race, religion or disability (29%). Only 5% of girls said that they never talk about diversity. These statistics hold differently for girls' conversations with friends about diversity. See the chart below for comparison.
• In addition to talking about diversity, girls also try to promote it. Girls usually promote or embrace diversity by trying to listen to or value other people's ideas and opinions (58%). Nearly half of girls try to make friends with kids from different backgrounds (49%). Only one in ten girls say they don't do anything in particular to promote or embrace diversity or include others whom are different from they are. See the chart below for comparison.
• For nearly six out of ten girls, seeing someone being picked on because of their race or ethnicity generally makes them feel angry and they want to defend the victim. Over four out of ten girls feel sad, and to a much lesser extent, girls feel worried (18%), that people have to stand up for themselves (12%), scared (11%) or unsure (7%). The smallest percentage of girls either feel excited (1%) or unaffected (1%) when they see someone being picked on because of their race or ethnicity. See chart below for percentages of reactions to harassment because of religion and disability.
