The PE puberty precipice
New research finds girls' confidence and enjoyment in physical activity plummets as puberty begins.
New research released by children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust, highlights the deepening crisis of confidence girls face when they hit puberty, and the increasing impact of this on their physical activity levels and wellbeing throughout their teenage years and into adulthood.
Most girls in the UK begin their period at around 12 years of age, the age where their confidence to take part in and enjoyment of PE decline rapidly - according to this year’s Youth Sport Trust Girls Active survey. Meanwhile the same survey has shown boys' experiences and attitudes remain relatively consistent across all age groups.
The Youth Sport Trust Girls Active survey is funded by Sport England National Lottery Funding and has been running since 2016, and this year received responses from more than 15,000 girls and boys aged between 7 and 18. Key findings from this year’s survey showed:
The number of girls enjoying PE drops dramatically throughout school life. 86% of girls aged 7 to 8 enjoy PE, compared to 56% of girls aged 14 to 15.
46% of girls aged 14-15 report a lack of confidence stops them being physically active compared to 26% of girls aged 7-8.
PE kit continues to be a contentious issue for girls, particularly around the onset of puberty. Just 23% of girls aged 14 to 15 feel confident in their PE kit, in contrast to 65% of girls aged 7 to 8.
61% of girls aged 11 and over worry about leaking in their PE kit and 58% of girls this age would like to have more PE kit options to choose from.
Alongside more flexible kit options, girls also want more empathy and support from teachers, coaches and peers to encourage them to continue participating. 42% of girls aged 11 and over do not feel comfortable at all talking to their PE teacher about their period, despite the impact it is having on their confidence to participate. The Youth Sport Trust’s Girls Active programme aims to tackle the barriers girls experience and helps to build a movement of girls and young women in primary and secondary schools, empowering them to take positive action through influencing, leading, and inspiring their peers. Results show 97% of leaders and 58% of participants across the programme felt more confident to take part in sport and physical activity.
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