The Importance of Talking Openly with Young Girls About Anxiety this R U OK? Day: Insights from Leading SA Girls College Principal
Loreto College Marryatville Principal, Dr Nicole Archard shares why adolescent girls struggle more with anxiety and how a better understanding of self can help girls on the road to adulthood.
As the education sector marks R U OK? Day this Thursday the 8th of September, leading SA girls’ College Principal, Dr Nicole Archard provides a timely reminder of the importance of transparent discourse on the levels of anxiety being felt by young girls.
“Anxiety is a complex issue for girls. We know from research girls typically experience higher levels of anxiety than boys. Given the significance and timing of R U OK? Day, this is an important reminder to parents, as well as educators, to talk openly with young girls about how they are feeling,” said Dr Archard.
Dr Archard’s comments align with a growing body of research highlighting the pressures of adulthood and body image affect girls more adversely. Research finds that by mid-adolescence girls are more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with a mood disorder as boys. Further research on the impacts of COVID-19 on anxiety levels indicates anxiety levels have doubled for children and adolescents.
In speaking to why girls are more susceptible to higher levels of anxiety, Dr Archard suggests:
“Heightened anxiety among young girls is somewhat linked to the drop of confidence that happens in adolescence, and the impact of many societal pressures and stereotypes that continue to be placed on girls, in particular through their journey through adolescence.”
Dr Archard emphasises a need to equip young girls with the skills to build a positive self-concept and develop a greater understanding of who they are and who they want to be as they transition into adulthood.
“We have to be able to get girls to look at themselves and say, ‘I’m enough. I’m happy as I am, I’m enough'. I passionately believe the girls’ school environment is best positioned to have this effect on young girls.”
Within a single-sex environment, girls are observed to be more confident and show fewer inhibitions, which is vital to building positive self-esteem and granting the opportunity to break through gender stereotypes.
“As educators, we play an influential role in encouraging positive self-talk and strengthening the emotional and social competencies of young girls to ensure they can navigate the complexities of adolescence, including dealing with anxiety,” said Dr Archard.
Dr Archard also acknowledges the important correlation between levels of anxiety and students completing their SACE and seeking an ATAR.
“An ATAR will get you into a university course; it will not make you successful in life. If we can focus on the skills regarding how you feel about yourself, your identity, your self-concept, your self-efficacy, that you’re a good person, that you care for others – these are the life-building skills that are going to get girls through life more successfully, and a lot more happily than by simply focusing on a discourse of achieving the highest ATAR possible,” said Dr Archard.
Loreto College proudly pioneered a forward-thinking approach to school wellbeing through its award-winning Social, Emotional and Academic Development (SEAD) Program. This program was recognised as one of Australia’s Best Student Wellbeing Programs at the 2021 Australian Education Awards.
The innovative SEAD Program utilises Student Pulse, an online tool developed by Educator Impact to provide real-time insights and measurements of the week-to-week wellbeing and engagement of students. By tracking the wellbeing of individual students, the school can make informed and immediate changes to the SEAD Program based on different students social and emotional needs.
“With Student Pulse, we are able to gain a tangible insight into the emotional wellbeing and levels of anxiety felt by each child. We can then take this powerful information and deliver either a tailored or school-wide approach to address any issues as they arise,” says Dr Archard.
Dr Archard’s insights into girls’ anxiety feature within the new book ‘L Platers’ from prominent journalist and author, Madonna King. Madonna will speak at Loreto College Marryatville on Thursday 8th September at 6:00pm to discuss the book and deliver the answers to parents and educators to help girls on the road to adulthood.
About Dr Nicole Archard
Dr Nicole Archard is a highly qualified, passionate advocate for girls’ education. With a Doctor in Philosophy in Gender, Girls’ Education, Women and Leadership, in addition to three Masters’ degrees, she is well qualified to champion that view.
Dr Archard believes that a girls' school environment is the best place for girls to be educated and that it equips them to challenge gender stereotypes, develop a confident and articulate voice, develop leadership capacity in all forums, and be comfortable within themselves.
A published author and accomplished public speaker, Dr Archard advocates nationally and internationally on the topics of gender, women and leadership, girls and STEM, and girls’ education.
About Loreto College
Loreto College Marryatville is South Australia’s leading all-girls day and boarding school, catering for students from Early Learning to Year 12.
Established in 1905, a Loreto education is built on a 400-year-old tradition first inspired by the founder of Loreto schools worldwide, Mary Ward, and encapsulates her beliefs in delivering an education that inspires strong, passionate, and confident girls and young women.
In delivering this view, Loreto College Marryatville provides girls with a well-rounded education where students are presented with a broad range of opportunities and given the support and encouragement to become confident and engaged learners with the knowledge and skills to make a difference in their world.
Shannon Muscolino