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Facts and figures about girls |
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Education and
Employment
Confidence and
Health
Delinquency and
Violence
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36.8% of children with Records of Special
Educational Needs were girls, in 1998 (Scotland Executive Bulletin
1999)
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School exclusions: more boys than girls are
excluded (9:1 in primary schools and 4:1 in secondary schools). Schools differ
in their exclusion ratios by gender (from 9 boys to every one girl, in certain
schools, to one boy to one girl in others). Official reasons for school
exclusions: vandalism was more often cited for boys than girls (11:1) while
truancy had a lower ratio (24 boys to 15 girls) (Lloyd 1999)
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In 1996/7 62% of girls leaving school held >5
Standard Grade awards (1-3 or better) compared to 51% of boys. 34% girls left
with >3 Higher passes, compared to 27% of boys. Boys (7%) were more likely
than girls (6%) to leave school with no SCE qualifications, in 1996/7. (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/)
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53% of higher education first degree entrants were
women in Scotland, in 1996/7 (Scottish Abstract of Statistics 1998); 59% of
young women and 53% of young men (aged 16-18) were in full-time education
(Great Britain 1995)
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18.2% of young men and 14% of young women (aged
16-19) were registered as unemployed, compared to 8.1% men and 5.8% women of
working age (UK 1997)
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80 300 young women (aged 18-24) have started on
the New Deal in Scotland, since Jan 1998, compared to 214 100 young men. 11 100
young women were disabled and 13 550 were from black and ethnic minority
groups. (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/)
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UK studies demonstrate that the 16-19 age group
has he highest proportion of temporary workers (18%) and that females account
for the majority (53%) of non-permanent employment. (http://www.coe.fr/youth/research/trends.htm)
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Women earned 72% of average male weekly earnings
in 1998, which was down 0.25% from 1996/97 (http://www.engender.org.uk/)
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48% of women from black and minority ethnic
backgrounds were employed and 14% unemployed, in 1997. 69% of white women were
employed compared to 6% unemployed (EOC 1998)
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11% of girls aged 11-15 were 'regular' smokers in
1996 (ONS 1997)
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In a 1996 survey, 61% of girls aged 14-15 said
they wanted to lose weight, although only 15% were clinically over weight
(School Health Education Unit 1997)
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In 1996/7, 94% of calls to ChildLine Scotland
about self-mutilation were from girls.
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17% of young women (under age 25) attempted
suicide compared to 8% of young men (London survey of 7000 young people,
Guardian 6.4.98)
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87% of girls aged 13-14 had weekly involvement in
sport; 42% were similarly involved at age 23-24. Involvement is less likely if
young women are in semi-skilled or unskilled manual jobs or are housewives.
This compared to 96% of boys aged 13-14 and 59% of young men aged 23-24. (YPPL
Survey 1991, Scotland)
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In 1998, 8.7 per 1000 girls (aged 13-15)
conceived, compared to 8.4 per 1000 in 1989. 71.0 per 1000 girls (aged 16-19)
conceived, compared to 69.7 per 1000 in 1989. (Scottish Health Statistics
1998)
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In 1993, young women under age 20 were 3% of lone
parents (Children in Scotland 1999)
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In Scotland, 28% of children in secure
accommodation (n=85) on 31.3.1997 were girls; 39% of children in residential
establishments were girls. On 31.3.1998, 42% of 'looked after' children were
girls. (The Scottish Office 1998)
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Involvement in offending and drug use amongst
young people England and Wales is widespread - one in two males and one in
three females admitted to committing offences and the same number admitted
using drugs at some time, though most offending is infrequent and minor. (Home
Office 1997, http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/cpd/jou/tyc.htm)
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In England and Wales, 600 girls aged 10-13 and
2800 girls aged 14-17 were guilty or cautioned for violence against the person
in 1997. In 1993, the numbers were 600 and 3100 respectively. (Home Office 1998
and 1993)
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In Scotland, 32% of alleged grounds of referral to
a Reporter (children's hearing), for girls, were on offence grounds in 1995;
16% in 1986. Numerically, this is a growth of 2461 alleged offence grounds for
girls in 1986, with the 1995 total being 4780. (The Scottish Office 1997 and
1987, http://www.scotland.gov.uk/)
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In Scotland, the number of females aged between 17
and 19 who had a charged proved per 1,000 population generally increased
between 1987 and 1997. (The Scottish Office 1999,
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/)
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In a UK survey on attitudes to violence of 2000
14-21 year olds, 1/2 of boys and 1/3 of the girls thought that there are some
circumstances where it could be acceptable to hit a woman or force her to have
sex. (Zero Tolerance, http://www.engender.org.uk/)
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Of all women, young women (aged 16-24) are the
most likely to experience violence: 8.8% vs 3.6% in the British Crime Survey
(Home Office 1998). A third of girls aged 9-16 were afraid of being bullied
(Exeter Health Education Unit 1999).
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