The latest Girls Attitudes Survey from Girlguiding has revealed that young women feel increasingly unsafe online, with more girls than ever receiving unwanted sexual images and harassment.

The annual survey of over 2,700 girls shows that 77% of those aged 7-21 have experienced online harm in the past year, with 1 in 5 girls aged 7-10 exposed to harmful images online—doubling since 2021. 

Just as concerning is that 74% of girls aged 11-16 reported encountering sexism, with the figure soaring to 95% among young women aged 17-21. Across all age groups, sexism is most often experienced online (73%), in the media (70%), and in public spaces (66%).

More than half of girls and young women aged 11-21 said they had seen sexist comments and ‘jokes’ (53%), or hate speech (53%) online, while 57% of 17-21 year olds know a girl their age who had experienced sexual harassment online.

According to the report, girls are more likely to experience a range of online harms compared to just 3 years ago, with a rise in the number of young women experiencing cyberstalking, seeing unwanted sexual images, and seeing people pretending to be someone they’re not online.

Young women are also more concerned about the impact of new technology, with 59% of all girls concerned that artificial intelligence may be used to create fake images of them or impersonate them online.

Girlguiding said that these experiences of sexism are making girls and young women feel less confident than 10 years ago, with 6 in 10 girls aged between 11 and 21 reporting they are consumed by negative thoughts about how they look, and 80% reporting that someone their age has or had anxiety, up from 72% three years ago.

Despite their negative experiences, more than half (57%) of 11 to 21-year-olds said they did not want to take a break from social media because of a fear of missing out, otherwise known as FOMO, affecting 55% of 11 to 16-year-olds, rising to 60% of 17 to 21-year-olds.

However, in spite of the grip of social media, just over a third (37%) of girls said they consider themselves to have strong connections online.

Rather than miss out, girls say they want social media firms to do more to protect them. They said the most important action is to remove harmful content, with 50% of young women saying this would make them feel safer online.

They would also like for tech companies to take reports of harm more seriously (48%), take steps to deal with violence and abuse of women on their platforms (46%), and make privacy settings easier to navigate (39%).

Those aged 17-21 are also concerned for future generations, with 52% wanting better protection and more restrictions for under 18s.

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“Sexism and misogyny continue to be pervasive, online and offline, leaving many girls feeling vulnerable and unsafe,” said Girlguiding chief executive, Angela Salt.

“But even in tough times, there are rays of hope. Girls may feel anxious about their futures, but they also remain hopeful and curious. They’re passionate about driving change and vocal about the need for action on climate change, the cost-of-living crisis, and online safety. It’s inspiring to see how girls feel empowered to come together.”