Changing the Game for Girls Contents
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Changing the game for girls Contents Introduction Executive summary and recommendations The research base 1 Where we are now: a nation of inactive girls 2 Physical activity: levels 3 Physical activity: attitudes 4 Drivers of and barriers to participation 5 Conclusions Introduction Over half of secondary girls The UK has a problem with levels of activity, opportunities and level of encouragement that fitness and obesity. Although the figures society, particularly in education, offers them say that “girls are put off vary, that applies to people of all ages, social to do so. While families are shown to have the sport and physical activity backgrounds, ethnic origins and gender. But biggest impact on children’s activity levels, the problem is particularly critical among girls. schools are the places shown to be best because of their experiences Just over one in ten girls at age 14 currently placed to effect change. meet the official guidelines for physical activity, of school sport and PE” It is the passionate belief of the Women’s half the number of boys at the same age.1 Sport & Fitness Foundation (WSFF), and the This report presents new research that offers us other organisations involved in this research, the opportunity to begin to understand the causes that the over-riding priority of PE and school of low levels of physical activity among girls. sport (PESS) should be the health, well-being The project (the largest of its kind ever carried and confidence of every child. That the out in the UK) explores the views of girls – and overwhelming majority of our young women boys – about physical activity, sport and PE, are leaving school with such dangerously and the influence of schools, friends and families. low levels of physical inactivity, and in many It also includes interviews with parents and PE cases, a related lack of confidence in their teachers. Importantly, the research points appearance and abilities, is simply unacceptable. clearly to what can be done to help more girls WSFF intends to campaign for change. Our get and stay active. recommendations provide a clear programme It is imperative that we act. Physical inactivity of action for government, schools and teachers. among children is associated with a range They have implications for public policy. They of outcomes from obesity to low self-esteem. are also relevant to parenting. Alongside this Physical health affects children’s ability to learn report, we are also publishing a toolkit for and achieve their academic potential; taking school PE teachers – designed as a resource part in sport and exercise develops skills in to help practitioners understand the issues organisation, teamwork and leadership; for girls and how to deal with them. particularly, being physically active helps develop This project is supported by the Big Lottery positive body image – crucial when 30% of girls Fund and was delivered in partnership with aged 11-16 say they lack confidence in their the Youth Sport Trust and with the support of appearance2. And all this at a time when adult a number of other organisations and individuals women’s participation is in decline and British represented on a Steering Group, listed on the women are the most obese in Europe. last page. Our thanks to all those who have This research does bring some good news: given their support, expertise and time so it has found that overwhelmingly girls want to generously. be active, to take part in physical exercise, and to stay healthy. What needs to change is not Sue Tibballs 1 NHS Information Centre: Health Survey their appetite to get involved, but the type of Chief Executive for England (2008). Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation 2 Girlguiding UK: Girls Attitude (2011). Executive summary This report offers a rare opportunity to hear These social norms are a powerful influence the voices of girls themselves and reveals their and pose a challenge for traditional ways of attitudes to fitness and sport more than any delivering PE and school sport. While some previous research. It shows that a gender gap schools have focused on these challenges, in participation begins in the later years of and been innovative in their response, this primary school, and then continues to widen research shows that many girls are actually at secondary school with years 8 and as put off being active by their experiences in 9 emerging key drop out points. PE and school sport. A large number feel that too much PE and school sport is still The reasons girls disengage are many. Families focused on traditional competitive sport, and are shown to have the greatest influence, both attention reserved for the sporty and talented. in terms of role-modelling but also practical This research shows that this approach is facilitation. However, this research shows working for a minority of girls – the ‘sporty’ that girls’ activity can be inhibited by anxious girls. But it is a huge turn-off for the majority parents who are setting more stringent rules Surveys show that only and in particular for the least active who are concerning outdoor play for their daughters most at risk. 12% of girls aged 14 meet than their sons. Friends are also influential, the official guidelines for particularly as children get older, and girls are But these girls want to be active – and they more influenced by their friends than boys. know what would help them. They would like physical activity – roughly a greater choice of activities; they want to be Closely connected to friendship is the degree able to take part in girl-only groups away from half the number of boys at to which social norms around being female the gaze of boys; they want to be with their and feminine are still affecting girls’ attitudes the same age. However 74% friends and have fun while exercising; they and behaviour. Notably, being ‘sporty’ is still 1 want to feel comfortable in what they wear want to be more active widely seen as a masculine trait. While ‘sporty’ and feel encouraged and rewarded for their boys are valued and admired by their peers, efforts. The toolkit published with this report ‘sporty girls’ are not, and can be viewed gives wide-ranging advice for making PE and negatively. Meanwhile, being feminine largely school sport more inclusive, and references equates to looking attractive. case studies from the many schools and PE staff that are already getting it right. What we now need to do is make what is currently best practice into common practice. This research represents a clear challenge to everyone involved in education, from Government ministers to school Heads to PE staff. While traditional sport remains the focus of policy and delivery, the critically low participation of girls – and large numbers of boys – is set to continue. 1 NHS Information Centre: Health Survey for England (2007). Traditional sport has an important part to The report notes that: play – and delivered well, this research shows that the net for traditional sport could be Overall activity levels significantly widened. The research finds that National data sources clearly demonstrate the contrary to popular perceptions, girls do like significance of the problem in girls’ physical competitive sport, for example. What they activity levels. Latest data from the Health don’t like are the behaviours that can go Survey for England shows that only 12% of with it, such as being over-competitive and girls aged 14 do enough physical activity aggressive. Initiatives like the School Games to benefit their health. This is supported and the development of Youth Sport Trust by data from a national survey carried School Sport Clubs provide an important out in collaboration with the World Health opportunity to involve more girls in sport, and Organisation, which shows that 15% of girls help create a more inclusive sports culture if aged 11-15 participate in the recommended they proactively set out to do so. levels of physical activity. The core responsibility of schools – and the The problem is not a new one. In order to priority for both parents and students – is overcome the problem, this new research health, and the most important educational explored the patterns in girls’ disengagement legacy of schools should be that every girl from sport and physical activity by age, in leaves school having had a positive experience order to better understand where, and what of being active, found activities she would like kind, of interventions need to be made. to carry on in adult life, and where appropriate, achieve her full potential. Achieving this will Our research showed that although activity require a real commitment to change and a levels between girls and boys are broadly the willingness to review how PE and school sport same in early years, a growing gender gap is delivered in this country so that every school emerges in the final years of primary education offers the range of activities and the level of and is reinforced at secondary school. encouragement that can engage every child. At Year 4 of primary school, girls and boys are doing similar levels of physical activity. However, by Year 6, girls are doing significantly less, and this gap increases as young people progress in to secondary school. “ The over-riding priority of PE By year 9, half of boys report that they had and school sport should be undertaken 60 minutes of physical activity in five or more days in the previous week. The the health, well-being and equivalent figure for girls is only 31%. confidence of every child” That is despite a wish on the part of girls to be Sue Tibballs, CEO of Women’s Sport active: three-quarters (76%) of 15-year old girls and Fitness Foundation surveyed wanted to do more physical activity.