ATLANTA — Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta and Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia released the State of the Georgia Girl Report, providing a statewide look at the health, safety and education of girls across the state.
According to the study, Georgia high school girls are reaching record levels of academic achievement while simultaneously experiencing widespread mental health struggles and feelings of isolation.
The report says 90% of Georgia girls graduated high school in 2025, outperforming boys by 5% and marking an increase of nearly seven points over the past decade.
However, the report also found that every two out of three high school girls do not have a caring adult to talk to about their feelings.
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More than half of the girls surveyed reported monthly symptoms of depression.
The report examined physical, digital, emotional, academic and social aspects of life for girls across the state. The findings revealed that Georgia high school girls report experiencing intense anxiety at twice the rate of boys and were twice as likely to be cyberbullied.
Additionally, nearly half of high school girls surveyed said they do not feel close to people at school, while half of parents seeking mental health treatment for their daughters reported being unable to access care.
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“This report confirms what we see in our troops every day: Georgia girls are capable of extraordinary things and too many of them are navigating it alone,” Jai Ferrell, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta, said. “We commissioned this research because closing that gap is exactly why Girl Scouts exists and because real change starts with knowing the truth about what girls in our state are facing.”
While the study showed there are some areas for improvement, it also highlighted positive social support within Girl Scout troops.
Among Georgia members surveyed, 89% reported that they believed their troop leader cares about them as a person, while 92% said members in their troop genuinely care about each other.
In response to the report’s release and in recognition of International Day of the Girl on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, the two councils announced a commitment to provide 100 free annual Girl Scout memberships across Georgia.
“This is one concrete way we’re putting the report’s call to action into practice, by making sure cost is never the reason a girl in Georgia can’t find her place in Girl Scouts,” Ferrell said.
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