Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), in partnership with the Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana (the Coalition) and Girl Scouts of Indiana, is pleased to announce the release of the 2025 Indiana Girl Report. The detailed report offers data and insight into the well-being of girls across the state. This year’s report issues a case for social connection and builds on a commitment to ensuring every girl in Indiana is seen, supported, and empowered.
“We believe in the power of data beyond its ability to inform, but also as a way to inspire meaningful action. The evidence in this report tells part of a larger story, one that highlights the strengths of Indiana’s girls, the opportunities they deserve, and the barriers they continue to face,” said Tami Silverman, President and CEO of IYI.
IYI has served as Indiana’s KIDS COUNT® affiliate for more than 30 years, a national network dedicated to collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on child well-being. Now in its third year, the 2025 Indiana Girl Report goes further by centering data about girls and offering insights from Girl Scouts participants and volunteers.
This year’s report explores a wide range of issues affecting girls, including mental health, school climate, safety, and economic stability. Graduation rates reached a ten-year high in 2024, with nearly 92% of female students completing high school, and the state’s teen birth rate continued its decade-long decline. At the same time, the data underscores areas of concern. Girls reported higher rates of eating and body image issues than boys, and survey results show they are twice as likely to experience major mental health risks, including persistent sadness, suicidal thoughts, and suicide planning.
Additionally, the 2025 report highlights the benefits of social connections for girls, mental health protective factors, and the need for positive approaches for technology and social media use. The state is seeing encouraging trends across multiple areas but there is still more work to be done to improve the lives of all Indiana girls.
Social Connections of Girls in Indiana
56.2% of female high school students reported they most of the time or always felt able to talk to a friend about their feelings, an increase from 52.5% the previous year and higher than the rate for male students (46.7%), according to the most recent data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
94.6% of girls in Indiana reported having an adult mentor in 2023, which is defined as an adult in the child’s school, neighborhood, or community who knows the child well and who they can rely on for advice or guidance, the highest rate among neighboring states, according to the most recent National Survey of Children’s Health.
79% of female children aged 6 to 17 in Indiana participated in at least one organized activity or lesson outside of school in 2023, up from the previous year (69.2%), according to the National Survey of Children’s Health.
Indiana Girls and Their Mental Health
Female students in grades 7 through 12 in Indiana were twice as likely as their male peers to report experiencing all three key mental health challenges: feeling sad or hopeless for more than two weeks, seriously considering suicide, and making a plan to attempt suicide, according to the 2024 Indiana Youth Survey.
While still high, the rates of female students reporting all three key mental health challenges decreased in 2024 compared to the previous year.
39.4% reported feeling sad or hopeless for more than two weeks, down from 47.1%.
18.4% reported seriously considering suicide, down from 23.3%.
13.4% reported making a plan to commit suicide, down from 17.6%.
Indiana girls aged 6 to 17 had higher prevalence rates than boys across all four eating and body image-related behaviors measured by the National Survey of Children’s Health.
Technology and Social Media Use
82.7% of female high school students in Indiana reported having 3 or more hours per day of screen time in 2023, higher than male respondents (74.7%).
Adolescents spending 3+ hours daily on social media face double the risk of depression and anxiety, yet more than one-third of girls aged 11-15 feel “addicted” to these platforms nationally.
80% of adolescents nationally report that social media keeps them connected to friends’ lives, 71% say it offers a place to showcase their creativity, 67% find people who support them through tough times, and 58% feel more accepted.
Silverman further emphasized that these are not just data points and statistics. “The evidence reflects the experiences of girls in every Indiana urban, suburban, and rural community and reminds us why this work matters. This report calls on all of us—youth-serving professionals, educators, community leaders, and policymakers—to respond with focus, care, and resolve.”
The 2025 Indiana Girl Report includes data disaggregated by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other key demographics, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the experiences of Indiana girls.
Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana was founded and inspired by the six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana and is committed to using this data to lead conversations, implement programs, and initiate efforts to improve the lives of girls. The coalition’s work exemplifies bold innovation grounded in data, aiming to create environments where every girl can thrive.
A full copy of the report can be found at iyi.org or girlcoalitionindiana.org/report.
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About Indiana Youth Institute
Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) has worked to improve the lives of all Indiana children by strengthening and connecting the people, organizations, and communities that are focused on kids and youth since 1988. IYI provides critical data, capacity-building resources, and innovative training for thousands of diverse youth-serving organizations and youth workers each year. IYI has a long history of deeply engaging with Indiana’s youth workers, leveraging their needs to promote data driven problem solving, and large-scale impact projects such as Strengthening Youth Programs in Indiana and Indiana’s Youth Worker Well-Being Project.
IYI has been the Indiana state partner in the Annie E. Casey Foundation KIDS COUNT® network for over 30 years. Annually, IYI produces the Indiana KIDS COUNT® Data Book, one of 53 state- and territory level projects designed to provide a detailed picture of child wellbeing.
IYI’s vision is to be a catalyst for healthy youth development and for achieving statewide child success, striving to create best practice models, provide critical resources, and advocate for policies that result in positive youth outcomes.
About Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana
Girl Scouts Coalition of Indiana (the Coalition) is a statewide, girl-focused, social innovation initiative. It was founded and inspired by the six Girl Scout councils serving Indiana to create space for dreaming, ideating, testing, and developing new ways to serve all girls, especially those living in low-income communities. Through this initiative, the Coalition works on behalf of the Girl Scout councils across Indiana to deeply embed in communities, learn more about the needs of girls and families in 20 specific counties, and create innovative ideas that remove barriers for girls to access beneficial and impactful experiences. This work seeks to enable every girl in Indiana to live her best life physically, academically, emotionally, and socially. Additionally, the Coalition is conducting, sharing, and acting on annual research of the state of all Indiana girls to lead a collaborative, multi-organizational approach to ensuring the wellbeing of girls is prioritized in Indiana.
About Girl Scouts
As Girl Scouts, girls discover the fun, friendship, and power of girls together. Experiences are designed so girls of all backgrounds and abilities embrace their true selves, discover their strengths and new skills, and rise to meet new challenges. Supported by dedicated adult volunteers, mentors, supporters, and a robust network of alumnae, Girl Scouts provides safe spaces where every girl can be unapologetically herself, find adventure and give back to community. By fostering an environment of inclusion and empowerment, and backed by insightful research, Girl Scouts encourages every girl to grow, learn, and lead, and in doing so, has shaped generations of confident, capable, and compassionate women committed to making a positive impact on the world.
The Girl Scout Leadership Experience (GSLE) is the foundation of the program. It is a model designed to help girls develop into leaders through meaningful, girl-centered activities. Girls achieve five core outcomes: a strong sense of self, positive values, a willingness to seek out challenges, the ability to form and maintain healthy relationships, a commitment to community problem-solving. These outcomes are achieved through three key program processes:
Girl-led experiences that empower girls to take ownership of their journey
Learning by doing to promote active hands-on engagement
Cooperative learning that builds collaboration and shared success
Together, these outcomes and processes reflect the benefits of Girl Scouting and how it equip girls with lifelong skills, confidence and a sense of purpose.
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