UK study finds girls and young women alter behaviour for safety

According to a recent Girls’ Attitudes Survey conducted by Girlguiding, “68% of girls and young women aged 11-21 have changed their behaviour to avoid sexual harassment”.

This is one of many heartbreaking findings revealed in the report. Other findings include:

Data obtained from Girls’ Attitudes Survey 2025. Table created by Beth Andrew-Dann.

Everyday Safety Rituals

I suspect there will be many women and girls reading these findings and thinking “what’s new?”. And that is because of how prevalent harassment, sexism, and misogyny are in our lives and UK society.

From a young age, we have to incorporate safety rituals into our everyday routines. I’m sure it will resonate with many women when I share about having your keys poking through your fingers when walking home alone, just in case, and namely because it’s illegal to carry self-defence weapons in the UK.

Another ritual is urging your friend to let you know they’ve got home safe, and they ask the same of you. It is also constantly checking behind you when walking alone in the dark, to see if anyone is following you. These are only some of many rituals.

Many women and girls avoid going out when it’s dark to keep themselves safe. Photo by iwin on Unsplash

An epidemic of violence

These findings exist within a broader “epidemic of violence against women and girls” in the UK (The Guardian, 2025). This epidemic is getting worse, according to a National Audit Office report released earlier this year.

The above shows that systematic change is needed, with cultural and societal norms that underpin harassment and violence needing to be challenged.

There needs to be intervention from a young age that teaches boys to respect girls, and where harmful behaviours are challenged. There needs to be better policing and legal systems in place, where women and girls feel comfortable enough to come forward and disclose harassment and abuse, without fear that they won’t be believed.

This needs to run parallel to challenging societal attitudes where women and girls are taught to be small, quiet, obedient, and to not take up too much space. I would argue these attitudes not only greatly reduce our quality of life but also make us more likely to be targets of harassment and abuse.

Open Letter to the Prime Minister

Girlguiding are writing an open letter to the Prime Minister requesting action from the UK government to tackle misogyny and sexism. You can read the letter and sign it here.