The Reason Why Girls' Self-Confidence Plunges at Age 12—and What Parents Can Do About It
Between the tween and teen years, girls' belief in their abilities drops by 46 percent.
Photo: iStock
Puberty is a notoriously difficult time in any kid's life, but a new study reveals why it's particularly tough for girls: during this period, girls' self-confidence plummets, i-D reports.
Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, partnered with polling company Ypulse to survey 1,300 girls, between the ages of 8 and 18, and their parents and guardians, back in February. They found that from age 8 to 14, girls' self-confidence falls by 30 percent. In an even shorter amount of time—from age 12 to age 13—the number of girls who report feeling like they're not allowed to fail rises from 18 percent to 45 percent—resulting in a 150 percent increase.
