Girls In Real Life Situations (GIRLS) and Self-Understanding: A Program Evaluation

The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the school-based, psychoeducational Girls In Real Life Situations (GIRLS) group program (Taylor & Trice-Black, 2007). This research project examined the effectiveness of the program at a rural middle school in Livingston County, New York. It also looked to see if the GIRLS program enhances participants’ self-understanding. This research project includes a literature review that explored self-understanding and its dimensions (self-concept and self-esteem) as well as how it relates to development. Also discussed was why addressing self-understanding matters and how it can be connected to the GIRLS group. A total of nine early adolescent females with a mean age of 12.78 years (Treatment Group = 5 and Control Group = 4) completed a Pre-test before the start of the eight-session GIRLS program and a Post-test at the end of the program. The average Pre-test statement response for the Treatment Group was 2.80, while the average Post-test statement response was 2.97. The average statement response score for the Control Group remained the same for both the Pre-test and Post-test at 2.85. Eighteen of the twenty-five statement responses increased for the Treatment Group from the Pre-test to the Post-test. The Control Group had 13 of 25 increased from the Pre-test to the Post-test. The Pre-test and Post-test statement response mean data shows that the GIRLS group program did have an effect on the participants’ increased self-understanding and coping skills. The GIRLS program helped the participants understand more about themselves in relation to the topics discussed in the group