Recent data has revealed only 1 in 5 high school-aged girls feels safe at school all the time.
Released on Wednesday, the Western Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People’s ‘Speaking Out Survey 2025’ indicated that girls reported worse outcomes across most key areas—including life satisfaction, safety, physical activity, independence and school belonging—compared to boys.
Hear the full story, plus more findings from the ‘Speaking out Survey 2025’.
Commissioner Jacqueline McGowan-Jones spoke with Youth Jam’s Isaac Mulcrone, explaining that bullying is the primary reason girls feel unsafe.
“Generally it’s about bullying and fights in school. There is also a lack of safety around male students, however it is bullying.
“Bullying is still an all pervasive issue for our girls and it’s not just online, it’s in person,” she told Newsflash listeners.
Commissioner McGowan-Jones noted that girls described feeling unable to escape bullying and as though they are constantly “on show”.
“When I talk to young girls and young women it is about the fact they can’t escape it, it is about the fact that they are on show 24/7,” she said.
She argued tech companies must be held accountable for the safety of children and young people online.
“They can do it, we know that. They stop things immediately when it suits them. They need to do this and they need to do it better.”
Additionally, the survey highlighted that young women working part-time jobs also report feeling unsafe in the workplace.
Image: ABC
