TEEN SOCIAL ENTERPRISE, GIRLS OUT LOUD ISSUE A SUMMER MANIFESTO TO KEEP OUR YOUNG GIRLS SAFE AND ACTIVE THIS SUMMER
Summer is here and schools are out – but for some of the UKs most vulnerable young girls, the summer break can be another prolonged period of inactivity, online risk taking and coping with unsafe environments and challenging peers.
Not every teenage girl will be learning new dance routines, giggling with their best friend and going on holiday and without all the fun in the sun, time away from school can be an extended period of boredom.
Girls Out Loud is a Northwest based social enterprise dedicated to raising the aspirations and empowering teenage girls in the UK. Passionate about embedding more confidence, emotional resilience, self-assurance and self-esteem, their programmes lead to aspiration, real change, and long-lasting success.
Jane Kenyon, CEO and founder of Girls Out Loud said;
“Often along with boredom, young girls turn to online communication and social media for validation and excitement and as the region’s leading organisation working with teen girls we get you girls, we see you, we hear you and we know you matter.
“So, here is our simple summer manifesto for teen girls everywhere…
THE ONLINE MANTRA
“We all love social media; it is fun and often the only outlet for gossip and entertainment, but you also know it has a dark side and not everyone is out to be your friend.
Don’t share your private life, your feelings, emotions, worries and vulnerabilities on open platforms. Talk to your friends in private. Keep your private life PRIVATE.
If anyone does anything online that makes you feel uncomfortable, they are NOT your friend. Block them, report them and tell someone you trust.
Think before you post – remember you cannot get it back once you hit send or post. Sometimes it’s worth taking a deep breath and asking yourself the question ‘ Will this matter in 1 hour, 1 day, 1 week?’ Don’t’ allow anyone to compromise your safety or reputation.
Never ever, ever, ever send a nude or semi-nude picture to anyone, no matter how many times they ask or how much they assure you it will remain private.
Be kind, being mean online to anyone is a cowardly action.
Never meet anyone offline if you are not 100% sure of their real identity.
THE LIVE ACTION MANTRA
As much fun as social media is, talking to your friends and family in real time and doing things together with the people you love or even having some ‘me time’ is just as important so we say keep active, spending all day looking at a screen be it your phone, IPAD or TV is boring and interrupts your sleep so why not…
Plan to do something outside everyday – take the dog for a walk, meet a friend for a run or trip to the town, or simply walk into nature with yourself and your thoughts.
Learn something new – bake a cake, create a new dance routine, learn to knot r crochet, draw a still life, play some sport.
Do something thoughtful for someone else – Cook dinner for a hard working parent, take younger sibling to the park, visit Grandparents, do some gardening, cleaning etc
Re-organise your bedroom – a change and a new view can be invigorating!
Volunteer – giving back to others is a sure way of feeling good.
Get creative – start a journal, draw something, create a vision board for your bedroom wall using old mags and images you find online, read, create a blog.
Whatever you do, stay safe and stay active and remember our mantra
Be bold, be brave and believe in you!
STATS
There was an 80% increase in social media and smartphone use by teens during school lockdown – iNews
80% of online grooming victims in the UK are 11-13 year old girls – Internet Watch Foundation
Police reported 75% increase in child abuse during lockdown – NSPCC 2020
Growing trend of online grooming through webcams and live streaming as girls spend more time online. The number of abusive images circulating on the web has tripled in pandemic – Children’s Society 2020
