Cultivating Confidence in Girls
Did you know that girls’ confidence declines sharply between 5th and 9th grade?
Our research with nearly 11,000 girls across the country discovered that by the time girls get to high school...
46% don’t believe they’re smart enough for their dream career
1 in 3 avoid leadership positions because they don’t want to appear bossy
1 in 2 don’t speak their mind or disagree with others because they want to be liked
Even among the highest achieving girls, confidence is an issue: 30% with a 4.0 grade point average don’t think they’re smart enough for their dream job.
Girls told our researchers over and over again that what they need to be successful in life is confidence.
Confident girls are more likely to share their opinions. Confident girls trust themselves and each other. Confident girls grow up to be the brave leaders of tomorrow.
So how do we help our girls feel more confident?
Today's girls need adults in their lives who recognize the pressures they face, understand their realities, and commit to working toward a better future for girls.
Today's girls need you.
At ROX, we're committed to creating generations of confident girls who control their own relationships, decisions, experiences and futures. We know that together, with your help, we can turn this crisis of confidence into an opportunity of a generation.
To help the girl in your life build her confidence, check-out the strategies highlighted in our bite-sized videos and tipsheets at www.roxinstitute.org.
Empowering a Generation of Strong Girls to Take Charge of Their Future
Girls learn when they’re really young that they should be nice and they should be kind and they should make sure that other people like them. What they don’t always get reinforced is that they also have a right to set boundaries and stand up for themselves and say “no.”
-Dr. Lisa Hinkelman
ROX Founder Dr. Lisa Hinkelman joined “18 Summers: Podcast for Parents” hosted by Jim and Jamie Sheils. In their half-hour conversation, they discuss the proven strategies in Lisa’s book, Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life. Tune in to hear how to help teen girls navigate the challenges of growing up in today’s world.
Key takeaways to listen for:
Social media dilemma: Effects and parental intervention
The challenges girls face growing up versus their male peers
How can parents start building trust before girls reach adolescence?
Powerful advice to support girls
For more tips, sign-up here and our next post will be sent straight to your inbox!
Black Girls are Ready to Lead: Celebrating Black Girls This Month & Beyond
Girls get mixed messages as to what it means to be a leader. Often girls are labeled “bossy” when they share and assert their ideas, which dissuades them from sharing.
Girls’ confidence declines as they get older, and their sense of themselves as capable, good at lots of things, and smart enough to pursue their passions becomes compromised throughout middle school and on to high school.
On the other hand, what we see for girls of color, specifically Black girls, is notably different from their peers. In fact, we see that Black girls are the most equipped and eager to lead. Take a peek at what the data tells us:
Black girls' confidence INCREASES from elementary to middle school, while all other groups of girls experience a sharp decline.
Black girls are more likely to believe they are smart enough for their dream jobs compared to their same-age peers.
Black girls embrace being in charge and are not afraid to express their opinions.
During Black History Month, ROX is proud to share these data points from our latest research, Girls, Diversity & The Future. This study offers a glimpse into the world of today's girls and their unique beliefs, behaviors and barriers across demographics. Join us in exploring what lifts-up and holds-back our Black girls and what solutions the research reveals to address the disparities.
Click here to download a copy of the "Girls, Diversity & The Future" study and watch a video of the researchers discussing the findings. Sign-up here to have our next blog sent straight to your inbox!
Why Saying "I love your outfit" Isn't Building Her Confidence
Often, when we greet girls, one of the first things we do to start the conversation is offer a compliment about their appearance -- her cute clothes, shoes, hair or makeup. As a result, girls learn from a very early age that much of their value is wrapped up in their physical appearance. Because of this, girls have an extremely difficult time identifying internal qualities that hold value -- qualities that cultivate true confidence in themselves.
Rather than complimenting girls on their physical appearance, recognize and acknowledge a trait or characteristic that has nothing to do with how she looks. Instead of saying “your outfit is so cute” or “have you lost weight?” or “I love your makeup,” say something like:
“You are so savvy with all of this technology!”
“I admire your persistence this school year.”
“I love spending time with you, you are so witty!”
With this small shift in compliments, you can encourage an internal sense of value and help her cultivate a stronger sense of self-confidence.
For more tips on how to talk with girls, read chapter 1, "What’s Really Going on For Girls, and How Can We Help Them?," of Girls Without Limits: Helping Girls Succeed in Relationships, Academics, Careers, and Life by Dr. Lisa Hinkelman. Sign-up here to have our next note sent straight to your inbox!